I like San Jose City Manager Del Borgsdorf. I really do. He was pleasant and cooperative during the year we worked together at City Hall.
Yeah, I know, most people treat you nicely when you work at a high level in the mayor’s office: department heads return calls promptly, the janitor puts double ply toilet paper in the staff bathrooms, and cases of expensive wine mysteriously appear in your car trunk. Okay, I’m only kidding about the wine—but not about the toilet paper or return calls or Del.
I was part of the team that interviewed Del in 1999. I gave him high marks. He ran Charlotte, NC, efficiently as their deputy city manager. I also thought he had good political skills.
For example, during his initial interview, mayoral aide Joe Guerra asked Del a hypothetical question: “How would you feel if we changed the system
in San Jose where the mayor and city manager share responsibility to a system that is has a strong mayor and weak city manager?”
Del was honest. He said he wouldn’t like it – no city manager would. In fact, one city manager from a major Ohio city essentially bowed out because he was offended by the question or possibility.
But Del said the mayor should be the point person and the inspirational leader of a community. Ultimately, the quality of city government would rise or fall based on the mayor’s leadership skills and ability to work cooperatively with the city manager – a good answer.
Inside City Hall these days, they say Del is too deferential to the mayor’s office. If so, the seeds of the relationship were planted during that fateful interview with that hypothetical question.
What Not to Ask a City Manager
I reviewed my notes. Here are some other questions that we wisely chose not to ask Del and other city manager candidates:
• During years when declining revenues threaten essential city services, would you recommend that the city government raise: hotel tax, development fees, hackles?
• In times of economic expansion, to stimulate economic development is it better to lower: business taxes, permit fees, pants?
• On which days is it best to avoid discussing important city business with the mayor: when his approval rating drops below 50 percent, when he’s reading the Mercury News and mumbling that we don’t really need the First Amendment, when he’s looking for a little white ball in some really tall grass?
Funny stuff but I think Gregory actually does get the free wine in his car trunk. you know that Borgsdorff really reports to Guerra not Gonzales.
Aha! Now we know why Ron Gonzalez dropped his pants in the office!!!
Del’s answer to the last question that you did not ask would have spoken volumes…
Jude, I am offended at this simplistic attempt to address the current situation in City Hall. As a former Department Head, I don’t find your comments humorous at all. People are missing the point which is the need for leadership, courage and honesty at the top. San Jose used to be a respected leader nationally. It’s City Council and staff were considered to be leading edge in public policy and administration. The current scandals are representative of a deeper systemic change to the quality of government that has occured in San Jose. My former colleagues and I feel deep pain for the staff we left behind and the citizens we were committed to serving.
Great post today Jude!
You inform us with your wit and capture our attention with your musings, and I know that the residents of San Jose wait with baited breath for your next insightful (and humorous) post.
Terry Gregory just resigned!
With 20/20 hindsight a better question might have been: Should a City Manager expect his Deputy City Managers to report improper deals with outside vendors, and where exactly does the buck stop when they don’t?
I posted a link to the SJ Mercury story about Terry Gregory in our “News of Note” section for those who may not have read it yet: http://sanjoseinside.com/sji/blog/news/
Yeah for the DA. He’s doing his job cleaning up what he can. Let’s hope he continues straight to the top of the city hall.
George Kennedy for Mayor!
Sometimes I wonder if looking for a little white ball is not the only thing he is doing with grass!
I believe we should have an election to select a new citycouncil person for district 7.