The Perkasie Opinion Blog

Borough Manager Deal Not Good for Perkasie

Perkasie Borough Council has decided to hire Interim Borough Manager Daniel P. Olpere as the "full time" Borough Manager. No surprise there. What is disappointing, however, is the salary arrangement: $85,000 for a 35 hour work week. He was currently earning the annual salary equivalent of $95,000 for a 25 hour work week as Interim Borough Manager.

I don't have so much a problem with the money (a good manager could be worth that much). But the 35 hour work week is a bad deal for the Borough. Leadership is patterned from the top; if the manager works only 35 hours a week, it certainly makes it easier for that work pattern to spread to other employees, whether by design or by example. But worse, it says the manager's loyalties are divided. He's not dedicated to the work in Perkasie; he's got one foot out the door already, and it's just a matter of time until he's gone. Perkasie needs a full time manager, one who's committed to the job, and committed to the Borough. Mr. Olpere isn't that person; he had to have his arm twisted to accept even the limited responsibility he's taking on. It's not a good deal for Perkasie, and I urge Council to keep looking. If they can find someone even half as committed to the Borough as was our previous Borough Manager (John Cornelius), it will bode much better for the future of Perkasie.

On the other hand, maybe this is the best we can expect under the current Council; I'm sure no one's been breaking down the door to come to Perkasie since this Council took over in January 2004. The Borough management ranks have been decimated, with the firing or resignation of almost every department head and manager since the beginning of the year. The Borough has become a "commodity" -- government without direction, history, or character. The only goal this Council seems to care about is the bottom line -- how to balance the budget without raising electric rates, despite significant increases in electric costs. I doubt very much that they'll be successful -- it's fiscal mismanagement, in my opinion -- but that's a whole other issue for a future commentary.
Bob Bergey on 12.18.04 @ 02:44 PM EST [link] [4 comments]