In yet another moment of “I am in the wrong business”, Roanoke City is paying an independent consultant to find our new City Manager.

My first thought is what about Human Resources? What about City Council? What about the Roanoke Times, Washington Post, and New York Times? Why not just advertise it?

Colin Baenziger is the name of the consultant. What happens if he cannot find the 70-100 candidates? Not that I think there won’t be plenty of applicants. But what if he doesn’t. Are there checks and balances in place to make sure he doesn’t pad the list with friends and acquaintances just to appear to have done his job?

Either way, with the unemployment rate at an all time high you would think that there are plenty of hungry management types out there looking for a job. The last figure I saw was somewhere around 15 million unemployed.

Especially with top management officials taking the brunt of the finger pointing for budget shortfalls either rightfully or not.

The article on WDBJ7 states:

Members of city council say they’re looking forward to the process with an open mind.

“We haven’t made any pre-determined decision about someone from Roanoke or someone from Virginia, or it has to be someone from outside Virginia. We just want Colin’s help and find the very best candidates regardless,” says Rupert Cutler with Roanoke City Council.

Baenziger also wants to hear from Roanokers.

A public meeting is scheduled Wednesday in city council chambers.

Two more open meetings are on the schedule Thursday to hear from business leaders and neighborhood groups.

Baenziger says he hopes council will be able to make its decision by mid-December, with the goal of having the new city manager on the job by mid-February. Read more

The biggest question I have is how much we are paying this consultant to find a new City Manager. Currenty City Manager Darlene Burcham will end her tenure in Roanoke on March 1st.

Oh yeah…one other thing. Read the comments on the article linked above. And no, they are not mine.

Darlene Burcham will be retiring on March 1, 2010. She has been with the City since 1999. I cannot help but wonder if the recent article by “The Roanoker” Mag got the gears moving on the latest developments.

Check out the links below to read the news surrounding her departure.

Updated: City Manager, Darlene Burcham, to retire March 1

A look back at Darlene Burcham as Roanoke’s City Manager

Roanoke City Council prioritizes capital improvement projects

UPDATED: Roanoke City Manager Darlene Burcham retiring in 2010