Dear Editor
Danville’s upcoming mayoral and city commission election is about the next four years, not the last four. Rather than look at the future squarely, however, some candidates seem obsessed with the past.
The city’s ability to attract new high-paying jobs deserves at least as much attention as what happened here years ago. While government does not create private sector jobs, it sets the conditions that make the city attractive to those who do. Leaders must consider how prospective businesses view city operations and administration. Officials can’t be consumed with worrying about who gets credit and who is in control.
It’s clear to me after two years living here that hard feelings carry over from the last vote on the city manager/commission form of government. Some resent that because they have less personal power with a professional city manager in place.
Yet, Danville needs a full-time professional city manager who knows municipal best practices, state/federal statutes, how to obtain funds and who can exploit connections within the nationwide community of municipal management professionals.
