City management from the ground up

Whoever is chosen as Carson City's next city manager will have plenty of help -- and we're not just talking about the staff at City Hall.

This city has a remarkable collection of boards, commissions, civic groups, trade organizations, social clubs and business associations.

Several dozen of the boards and commissions are directly associated with city government. They range from the Planning Commission, the first hurdle for any major project in Carson City, to boards like the Shade Tree Council, whose primary purpose is, of course, trees.

We were reminded of all these folks when we saw the long list of Carson City residents who will be involved in narrowing the field of applicants and interviewing finalists.

One committee will be made up of city employees, while the second panel contains businesspeople, volunteers, community activists and professionals.

By the time seven finalists are interviewed in public near the end of March, they will have a good idea of how actively involved this community is in its city government. Apathy is seldom a problem, and therefore can't be used as an excuse.

Such involvement is truly a strength of Carson City, and it is part of the legacy left by John Berkich, the city manager for 12 years who departed to take a job as assistant manager of Washoe County.

Part of the activism comes from being residents of the state capital, where we expect government to be close to the people and responsive to our concerns and ideas. Part of it, too, is the city's framework of boards and commissions that constantly recruits people to have a say and help make decisions.

Some city managers might find the sheer numbers of groups and participants to be unwieldy. It means juggling a lot of competing, sometimes conflicting issues.

But the right city manager for Carson City will see the advantages in an active citizenry. Ideas and projects built from the ground up are usually most beneficial to the community -- and have the best chance to succeed.