Who's the boss?
That's the question Mayor Jess Green and City Administrator Carl T. Wanlass seem to be wrestling with as they try to work out philosophical differences about how the city should be run.Fed up with an arrangement that isn't working, Wanlass asked the City Council to hold a special open meeting to discuss day-to-day city operations and rate his performance.
In an unusual move, Wanlass asked each council member and Green to evaluate him on paper last December. Some council members openly discussed Wanlass' performance at the meeting Tuesday, while others held their reports confidential.
"Can the city operate with two bosses? Absolutely not. I'm a firm believer of that," Wanlass said.
As city administrator, Wanlass said, he should have the power to make timely decisions regarding personnel without having to consult with the mayor. Green, a first-term mayor, took over personnel administration last year.
On Tuesday, Green said he wants to turn that responsibility back to Wanlass, who has been city administrator since 1992.
"I believe he and I can work something out," Green said. In addition to discussing how to better manage the city, Green and Wanlass will also talk about raising the city administrator's $54,000 annual salary.
Both Wanlass and Green attributed part of the problem to their not talking to each other.
"Because of my bullheadedness and the mayor's hardheadedness our lines of communication are hanging by a thread," Wanlass said.
Said Green, "It's natural strife between the Christmas help - the elected officials - and the permanent staff."
Green concedes he took office with an agenda.
"I made some promises," he said. And his hands-on, confrontational style has turned off people inside and outside American Fork. Some say he gets too involved. "I guess I came in with the idea that an elected official can make some difference," he said.
Wanlass also wants council members to at least alert him before giving direction to city department heads. Council members vowed to do so.
Wanlass, the city's budget officer since 1974, has been frustrated since Green took office two years ago.
"We put a chair behind a desk, tied his hands and gagged him," Councilman Grant Parker said.
Councilman John McKinney said administrative decisions should be left to Wanlass, while the elected officials should make city policy.
"The council and mayor were not elected for their strong suits in administration. They're elected because of their popularity," he said.
Councilman Clark Taylor urged his colleagues to resist the temptation to micromanage the city. "If we're going to empower Carl, we need to empower Carl," he said.
In contrast, Councilman George Brown seemed reluctant to allow Wanlass too much control. State law, he said, requires city workers to report to the mayor.
"The mayor needs to take advantage of Carl's abilities, but the ultimate responsibility lies with the mayor," he said.