Brookings Banter

"There are many things we, as elected officials, do not understand" - Laura Lee, Mayor Cerritos, California

This quote is from an article in the August 18th edition of The Economist discussing the successful city of Cerritos, Californa.  In 2002  96% of citizens of Cerritos were happy with services provided by the city.  A strong, long serving city manager, was credited with much of the city's success.

The next City Manager of Brookings is crucial to our success.  We need someone who can help develop a long range vision and plan, communicate it, and keep the city on track. 

I feel that we need a strong leader that everyone can trust.  The character of that person is important in creating the needed trust.  Our current City Manager Dennis Falken is a great example of a trustworthy leader.  Having trust in an individual will trump any disagreement on a single issue and create a longstanding personal relationship. Once the trust is established the elected officials and community will let go and let the professional manage the city.