Public experience matters in county manager

It could be beneficial if the next Sedgwick County manager had a private-sector background, but it should be a requirement that the person have experience leading a large government. That is, after all, what the job entails.

County commissioners Karl Peterjohn and Richard Ranzau suggested last week that government experience was optional for the person hired to replace County Manager William Buchanan, who is retiring next June.

“I think having experience running inefficient government operations is not a plus in the candidate as far as I’m concerned,” Ranzau said. “I want someone who can compete in the private sector.”

Private-sector experience can provide valuable perspective and insight. But government is not a private business. It has different demands and operating rules. Because they spend taxpayer money, governments require checks and balances, transparency and public input – which can make decision making agonizingly slow at times.

Government actions aren’t always about what’s best for the bottom line or what’s most efficient. They also involve service and community values and, like it or not, politics.

Unlike a traditional CEO, a county manager operates in a diffused-power structure. The manager is overseen by the County Commission and must work with other elected officials, such as the Sedgwick County district attorney or treasurer.

Being county manager is a difficult, demanding job. Public-sector experience and qualifications matter.

For the editorial board, Phillip Brownlee

This story was originally published November 24, 2014 at 6:07 PM with the headline "Public experience matters in county manager."