From: Doug Rempp
Friends and neighbors,
I’ve been in Arizona this week doing some tough, dirty work, replacing tile in our townhome. But even 900 miles away, I’ve been hearing plenty of talk back home in Salina about the City Manager selection. Rumors point to Mr. Wood as the frontrunner. In my humble opinion, he is not just the right choice, he’s the smart choice.
Here’s why.
Take a few minutes of research and you’ll see what I found. One “top candidate,” Tangeman, has served as City Manager in a few communities. In Woodland Park, Colorado, he lasted less than three years before criticizing the council for having “no vision.” After that, he went to Truro, Massachusetts, a town of only 2,454 people. They paid him $190,000 a year to start. After four years, the town paid him $240,000 just to leave one year into his second term. That’s not the kind of track record we need here.
Then there’s Tremblay, a fellow Michigan native. His background is as a Garrison Commander. At the meet-and-greet, I asked about his “20,000” command. Turns out only about 200 people were typically on base. He’s applied for city manager jobs in small Michigan towns, none of which hired him. Salina was the only city outside of Michigan to even grant him an interview.
Which raises a bigger question: what exactly did we pay for in this so-called “nationwide search”? If this is the best they brought us, then we got shortchanged.
Meanwhile, Mr. Wood has shown himself to be cordial, responsive, and steady. More importantly, let’s remember how our city actually works. According to the charter, the City Manager works for the Commission. And the Commission works for us, the community. The City Manager’s job is not to set the vision for Salina. The Commission does that, and they do it based on the will of the voters.
That means November 4 matters. Change on the Commission means change in direction. I’m proud to support people like Keith Cooper, a sharp younger leader, and Johnnie “Jak” Keller, a man who devours information and wants to make a difference. As for me, I’ve been fortunate to build connections across our community for decades, and I want to see Salina thrive.
We may not all agree on whether a day is sunny or cloudy, but we ought to agree on this: our future depends on citizens stepping up. November 4 is only weeks away. If you want change, if you want your voice heard, you have to do your part.
Please vote.
—Doug Rempp
Paid for by Doug Rempp, Candidate for Salina City Commission