From yet another astute reader, this one was even "certified" for a while...

With all this talk by some about the need for our new City Manager to have the ICMA (International City Managers Association) "credential," it's important to point out that "credential" only requires that one have a certain combination of experience and education, the taking of an "Applied Knowledge Assessment" (not a pass/fail test) and an annual payment of a fee to the ICMA.  Here is what one knowledgeable reader (who is inside the city management profession) shared with me this weekend:

"While I agree the best thing this new commission did was to fire Susan Stanton, I believe the process they are now following was a complete setup by Stanton and the progressives.  Knowing of the eventuality of her termination, I believe Stanton and Margoles (and maybe Carr) laid out a cleverly planned set of actions this commission is now following (or stuck with).  On the night of her firing, staff immediately jumped into this "we must find another wonderful ICMA Credentialed Manager" and quickly brought in Kurt Bressner and the Range Riders (other ICMA managers without current employment).  The ensuing discussions and debates have set up the need for the City to ONLY HIRE AN ICMA CREDENTIALED MANAGER - and all others be damned.  Ms. Anderson is the public ring-leader for this new cause, actually posting the resumes of candidates who have the ICMA seal of approval.  Only Credential Managers make her grade.  All others are dismissed.  And I must ask - Is the sign of a good City Manager to have multiple jobs in the past 25 years?  Are more jobs better because it makes for a longer resume?  I don't know about you, but I'd rather see a professional with 2 or 3 jobs over the past 25 years than someone with 10 or more jobs over the same time frame.

I can tell you many years ago I was a member of ICMA, just as Margoles is now.  Nothing special - you just pay an annual membership fee.  In my case the annual fee was about $400.  The annual fee was always paid by my employer.  Everyone reading this (if posted) could join ICMA for about $200 per year.  If you work for a government the fee increases to a fixed % of your annual salary.  Trust me on this - ICMA probably doesn't care who becomes a member, they just want the $$$.  It reminds me of the GFOA CAFR Award of Excellence that Stanton bought for the City's finance department.  All you need to do is submit the CAFR along with the outlandish fee and if you prepared the CAFR correctly you win the award.  Most decent finance departments in America have these silly plaques hanging on a wall somewhere.  There are so many CAFR Excellence awards given each year ICMA actually prints a bound book listing the award recipients.

My concern is the City is now locked into a manager search in which everyone is fixated only on ICMA Credentialed managers.  This greatly reduces the potential field of qualified candidates and leaves out others who could easily handle the responsibilities.  Past City Directors come to mind, also people like Joan Oliva from the CRA.  These people know the City and its problems.  They also know the pitfalls of the politics here.  Bringing in some stranger from another part of the state, or from another part of the country, probably is not in this City's best interest.  These "strangers" would not know what they were getting into.  Yes, they may have loads of past government jobs under their belt (that is a whole different issue) and have paid their annual ICMA dues to make them so wonderful to the world, but they may easily be destroyed by the toxic politics and severe social problems we experience.  Or  maybe they are a Trojan Horse plant and come in to serve the other side and continue to prop up and support the progressive / anarchist agenda.

In summary, it seems the moment Stanton was fired this new ICMA Credentialed Manager strategy appeared at staff's suggestion, and within days there was Bressner making the case.  What does this City need and what do the elected officials want - someone they know and respect, or a complete stranger who just happens to have have his or her employer pay the annual ICMA dues to make them appear better than any other candidate - by paying ICMA to receive that word "credentialed".  Likewise, the City should not hire a "toadie" - a Scott Maxwell puppet (Ms. Anderson's phrase) - but this new commission majority has the chance to bring in a leader more concerned with fixing the problems in this City and undoing the recent wrongs brought about by the progressives - than in displaying their plagues and awards.  Yes, being a Range Rider (very self-service group, I'd say) or credential ICMA manager is good, but it should not be a flat out requirement.  And I'm sure there are several great, local people willing and able to step in and take control of this City without the need for a big state-wide or national search."

In response, I pointed out the difference between the ICMA "credential" and the American Planning Association (APA) credential of American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP.)  Not only do you need a requisite combination of education and experience and payment of an annual fee, you need to PASS a test that determines your level of familiarity and mastery of core planning principles and history.  Not everyone who takes this test passes and there is a cottage industry to prepare those who take the test.  I know some people who have taken the AICP exam two and three times before they pass.  They also change the test every year and include many current topics relevant to the planning profession.  After you pass the test, you get a certificate indicating such and the privilege of using AICP behind your name in professional correspondence, letterheads, business cards, etc.  However, you are also required to maintain your certification by gaining continuing education credits through approved courses each year.  This is much more of a REAL credentialing program than that of the ICMA.  So, the question remains, why are some fixated on it to such a degree?

I would also state that the term "progressives" is grossly misused in describing those that support the former Commission majority.  And, I also should mention that this person used a more colorful name when identifying Ms. Anderson...

More from our astute reader:

"Yes, the AICP and even LEED-AP are different in that you need to pass a test then maintain the certification through routine continuing education.  ICMA is simply a membership.

Yes to your thought about Stanton selling her soul to support the extreme left wing agenda of the progressive / anarchist group.  The mere fact that she was turned down on 300 consecutive job interviews should say something about her / him as a candidate.  This also goes to my concern that hiring a complete unknown person (Editor: Which would be encouraged by requiring ICMA certification) opens up the possibility of a Trojan Horse candidate.  I can see the five commissioners finding and settling on a certain candidate who initially appeases all sides, then that person turns out to be another Stanton-like manager. Or the hiring of an unknown may present a very short-term manager who quickly finds out that the quagmire of issues is overwhelming and runs for the hills, only after picking up his 6 months of severance."