How much should Corpus Christi's next city manager be paid? Here are some thoughts

In the absence of fact, people speculate. The current absent fact is who will be Corpus Christi's new city manager. And the current speculation is that money is the holdup. The talk around town is about whether our City Council is willing to pay enough to attract top talent.

Last week the City Council and members of the community interviewed four finalists chosen by the council from applicants provided by a search firm. The council decided not to announce a finalist before a contract is worked out, in case it doesn't work out. Then maybe the council can go with its second choice, or so the theory goes.

More:Public meets with Corpus Christi city manager finalists

You shouldn't be happy about that. If they are in negotiation with a potential new city manager, it means that the council chose one, pending a contract. That's a decision. A decision is an action. Actions are supposed to be voted on in public. That's the law as we understand it. And that's also the law as Joe Larsen, one of the state's top freedom-of-information attorneys, says he understands it.

In an understanding-of-open-government-law contest, put your money on Larsen over City Attorney Miles Risley and his staff.

All of this is important to you if you are a Corpus Christi resident or do much business here. The city manager is the person who has the most responsibility for how this city is being run. The city manager oversees a budget of nearly a billion dollars.

SPEAKING OF MONEY:

The city manager of this city is paid what is considered in this city to be a big fat salary. People tend to resent what top public administrators are paid — despite what just was explained about how important that individual is.

But if you want top talent, you pay top dollar. And it appears that unless an exception is made this time, we don't pay anywhere near top dollar.

Our previous city manager who quit nearly a year ago, Margie Rose, was paid $220,000. That may be a lot more than most of us make. But, looking at a survey of city manager pay throughout Texas, gathered by the Texas City Management Association, it's pretty sad.

Beaumont, a little more than a third the size of Corpus Christi, pays its city manager $231,000. Garland, population 238,000 compared to Corpus Christi's 325,000, pays $280,000. Lewisville, population 106,000, pays $273,000. Seguin, population 30,000 — less than a tenth our size — pays $244,000.

Mayor Joe McComb has a reputation for being stingy with your money, which can be good and bad. We can only hope it's not deterring this city from paying the next city manager what a city manager of Corpus Christi ought to be paid.

If Corpus Christi wants to be a world-class city, it'll need a world-class city manager. At the very least — speaking hypothetically since this is speculation because too many facts are being withheld — the city manager of Corpus Christi should be paid a lot more than the city manager of Seguin, don't you think?

Tom Whitehurst Jr. analyzes, explains and, when appropriate, opines on what's important in your life. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription to the Caller-Times.