Werner looks like a good fit for a tough job

By the Nevada Appeal Editorial Board

We congratulate Larry Werner for being named the new city manager for Carson City, and we wish him luck.

He's going to need it.

The economy has fallen like a guillotine blade, and the heads most likely to fall are those of non-elected city and county managers.

Linda Ritter may be the most visible victim so far, although technically she was reassigned for the final 18 months of her contract after hammering out an arrangement agreeable to the mayor and city supervisors who wanted her removed.

But she wasn't alone. Douglas County Manager Dan Holler is leaving for Grass Valley, Calif., where he'll manage that city (where the city administrator there has been fired). Holler was the subject of a recent attempt by a commissioner to have him fired, but says he wasn't forced out of his position.

He observed that the nature of the job is that most top administrators don't last longer than five years because of the politics associated with it (Ritter began in 2003).

A year ago, Lyon County Manager Donna Kristaponis was fired by the Lyon County Commission despite widespread support from a crowd of people who showed up at a public hearing.

In light of all that, it's surprising there are applicants when the jobs come open. In addition to managing city finances and city employees and communicating with the public, the buck stops in their offices, even if it's sometimes being passed on to them by others who deserve to be held accountable as well.

But Werner knows full well what he's getting in to, having held many municipal management positions. And he begins with widespread support from city supervisors and staff, which lends hope that he'll be a success in providing a unifying force the city so desperately needs.

Was Linda Ritter perfect? Nobody is. But during her tenure she also accomplished a great deal for the city, which was reflected in consistently positive job reviews. She should be remembered for those as much as for the circumstances that led to her reassignment.

• This editorial represents the view of the Nevada Appeal Editorial Board.