Out-of-towner city manager replacement has big shoes to fill | From the Roundtable

As much faith as I have in the wise and collective wisdom of our elected officials, I’m disappointed by their recent decision to select an out-of-towner to be Columbia’s new city manager. Far from wishing to cast a hex over the candidate they unanimously selected, the real “boots on the ground” successor to Bill Watkins, I believe, was already here, and that’s of course Tony St. Romaine.
I have been struck by the whirlwind hastiness of the vetting process. Watkins gave adequate notice of his desire to retire as his own life was torn asunder by the tragic — and generally unknown to the public — illness and ultimate passing of his wife. Although Columbia has long relied on consultants for advice relative to its utilities and public works, the increased complexity of the municipality has necessitated broadening the city’s base of outside “experts” to include personnel consultants.
More than just sitting on the warm-up bench waiting to be appointed, St. Romaine, I believe, was no less prepared to assume the city’s top executive position than his predecessor was half a decade or so ago when Ray Beck began testing the waters to sound out his eventual retirement. I remember hearing misgivings at the time that Watkins, then one of Beck’s assistants, wasn’t “seasoned” enough for the job, and what a bunch of balderdash that turned out to be!
I have very little personal experience with St. Romaine, but I’ve been very impressed by his performance during the past few years and how he prepares and handles himself — especially under fire. A particular plus: He works well with the media and is both straight-forward and decisive. Watkins had the foresight to delegate authority to his two assistants and wisely placed St. Romaine at the helm of various challenging projects across the community, which has not gone unnoticed.
I’ve been troubled from the onset by the City Council’s decision to hire an external “headhunter” to round up replacement candidates for Watkins’ position. A firm was selected whose purpose and own self interest would appear to be crossways with the community’s desire to find the absolute best candidate for the position. With a figurative Rolodex back in Pennsylvania crammed with clients who were available, one senses the consultant already had its own quartet of candidates lined up and raring to go.
Fly them in for an all-too-brief visit and a largely ignored, figurative “kick-the-tires” evening, and there you have it; the mayor and City Council were unanimous for the guy from Des Moines. Of course, the consultant rejected St. Romaine because from the start, they did not have the slightest scintilla of interest in anyone local and not already in their Rolodex, especially if it was one of former City Manager Watkins’ understudies already warmed up and ready.
If you are reading this, St. Romaine, please hang in there. The incoming city manager should be wise enough to recognize the depth of your knowledge and experience as you cram him with all the minutiae you’ve gained from years on the job because he’s going to need all the help he can get.
Meanwhile, here’s a mild scold to our elected officials: Please recognize and reward those among your employees who’ve grown up and advanced within the system. Watkins did a great job, and I’d wager St. Romaine would be just as distinguished if he’d been selected. As we all wish the new guy the best of luck in his new position, let’s make sure Columbia has a strong bench of assistants who aren’t chained in the dugout.