Administrator hiring process…

Dear Editor,

Many years ago, I was working as an Engineering Manager and decided to seek a new job opportunity. I knew that I would have to manage this process carefully as I suspected that had my boss found out what I was up to that I would have been fired on the spot. And sure enough, when I handed in my resignation I became an immediate outcast to my boss. Some people are just like that.

An open hiring process would subject every candidate for City Administrator to a similar challenge. The City Council made the correct decision to appoint an experienced hiring committee and to keep the process confidential out of respect for these individuals. I think most people would want the same treatment.

Remember that we elected these officials and when reviewing their bios it is easy to see that we have a group of experienced, dedicated, and hardworking people guiding Sandpoint. Apparently, these are not highly coveted jobs considering that out of 4 open positions only one person stepped forward to run. It’s easy to criticize these people but perhaps not as easy to do their jobs.

Let’s instead rally around these dedicated public servants and support them in what must be terribly difficult decisions. I support our City Council and I support their decision to keep the hiring process closed. I would also like to thank each and every one of them for stepping up and serving our community.

Linda Larson
Sandpoint