First in a series.
City Hall began advertising last week for a new city clerk, and that is news, especially since the highly visible last one vanished without explanation.
Duties of the next city clerk will be quite different from, and clearer than, the dual role Martin Cole played.
The new city clerk only will be assigned to traditional city clerk roles.
He or she will not have to cut himself in half and do two jobs.
By contrast, Mr. Cole doubled up. He served as assistant city manager half the time and as city clerk half the time.
Which one was primary?
Which role merited his loyalty more?
At least he was paid decently. His salary was pennies shy of $200,000.
After Mr. Cole resigned (?), was canned (?) or kidnapped and spirited away to the moon shortly after last April’s City Council elections, it was said that justice had not been done to either role.
Critics conceded, though, that he was overburdened.
Perhaps the double load deprived him of the chance to be an effective city clerk or effective city manager.
The Other Job always shadowed him.
The husky, always-smiling Mr. Cole played a starring role every election season. He probably would be remembered in sunnier terms if he had departed conventionally and not disappeared into an unexplained cloud.
(To be continued)
