This is a column by Opinion Editor Adam Van Brimmer.

The job posting for the Savannah city manager position reads desirable enough.

Then there’s the handsome pay, as much as $282,196, and the prestige that comes with leading the large business that is the city government. The opportunity to improve a city fast becoming one of the most desirable in the country appeals, too.

Any interested professional with an internet connection knows better, though. They’ve read the news reports and then watched video of council meetings to see the carnage for themselves. 

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No doubt the serious candidates have placed calls to Cahula Barnes, Odie Donald II and John Pombier, the three finalists rejected by council in an earlier search. And perhaps former City Manager Pat Monahan, who retired following council’s failure to hire his replacement.

City manager is a thankless job no matter the locale. In Savannah, particularly right now, signing on for the post is akin to volunteering to sweep minefields with no prior knowledge of explosives. 

This city council is lost, doomed to battle over policy changes through the term’s end in 2023. Alderwomen Alicia Blakely, Kesha Gibson-Carter, Bernetta Lanier and Estella Shabazz have no interest in governing. They champion many transformative priorities, yet show little ability to advance them and have lost all credibility and trust with the other five members of council.

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Such instability is anathema to a city manager, who is charged with implementing their policies. What’s worse, this council’s minority is not above working to undermine decisions that they disagree with, as we saw last month over a proposed hotel/motel tax increase.

It’s a job that should come with a headache relief medication allowance and an open tab at the liquor store.

And yet, as the mayor and alderman begin the candidate review anew this week, I’m confident Savannah will find a new leader — a good one — this time.

This talent pool will include two types of applicants: the underqualified hoping they get lucky and land a job that looks good on their résumés for the future; and steely, thick-skinned veterans who understand the power of the office under the council-manager form of government and will exercise that authority against overzealous elected officials.

They’ll be more — many more — of the former than there will be of the latter. But then it only takes one to fill the position.

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Mayor Van Johnson further bolstered my hopes by saying he’d accept a consensus hire and not insist on a unanimous or near unanimous vote from council as he did last fall. The Blakely-Carter-Lanier-Shabazz faction has exhausted his patience and his spirit of accommodation.

Highly qualified candidates won’t have to politic their way through the interview process to try and charm all nine council members, as the three finalists did last year. Asked how they would deal with the challenges presented by a divided council, each talked about the con as if it were a pro. One of them said he appreciated the kind of “passion” he saw in this council.

Within that observation is a kernel of truth — all nine members of this council are devoted to “enhance the quality of life desired by citizens,” as the job posting reads. The mayor and aldermen are divided on how best to achieve that goal, though, the city manager must have the chutzpa to set and enforce boundaries.

The new manager’s priorities must be the people he or she serves — city employees and residents — council members’ fragile egos be damned.

Such an alpha candidate is unlikely to be a shoo-in when it comes time to vote. But just as it takes only one good candidate to fill the position, the hire requires only five votes.

The political theater ahead is sure to be a farce, just as the failed search was last year. Assuming council’s behavior hasn’t scared off every good candidate, let’s make a hire this time and avoid an ACT III.

Contact Adam Van Brimmer at avanbrimmer@savannahnow.com.

Credit: Original article published here.