I’ve spent nearly 30 years in public service in local government, the last fifteen as a City Manager. Since 2004, I’ve had the privilege of being City Manager of Ventura. It’s here I will stay, although no longer as City Manager after September 15.
In a statement released today, our City Council announced: “During City Manager Rick Cole’s annual evaluation, it became clear that a majority of the City Council believes that it is time for a change in leadership. In response to the Council’s evaluation and respecting the Council’s responsibility, Mr. Cole offered to resign and retire subject to a mutually agreeable application of the severance provisions of his existing employment agreement and certain other terms. Mayor Tracy said, ‘The Council recognizes Mr. Cole’s vision and dedication during his time as our City Manager and the many accomplishments during the past eight and a half years, notably the adoption and implementation of our General Plan and making the hard choices that have ensured Ventura has lived within our means during tough economic times. We appreciate his service to our community and wish him well in his future endeavors.’”
Mayor Mike Tracy and I agree on many things, but two stand out in this situation. First, what’s good for Ventura comes first. Second, better to tell the truth, even if it is uncomfortable. I’m not leaving to spend more time with my family — although I’m looking forward to that. I’m not leaving to “pursue other opportunities,” although I’m excited about that too. I’m resigning because after eight and half years, the majority of the Council believe it is time for a change in leadership.
Public service truly is a privilege. In difficult times, leadership is difficult. I’m painfully aware of my own shortcomings, missteps, mistakes and missed opportunities. We all have them. Now it’s my responsibility to hand off the baton to new leadership. That’s happened many times in the 146 years we’ve been a city and the 78 years since voters instituted the City Council/City Manager form of government in our charter.
Like all the members of the City Council, I love and cherish this community. It is a great place to raise my family. Having weathered the worst of the economic storm, I believe Ventura’s best years are ahead of us. I look forward to contributing as a citizen to Ventura’s future successes.
I want to thank the Council and countless citizens I’ve had the chance to work with as we’ve collaborated on Ventura’s ambitious vision to be a model community in so many ways. You’ve inspired me and I hope I’ve served you well. Above all, I want to convey my profound gratitude to the City staff who continue to do great work, embracing and pioneering innovative approaches to public service.
For me, I aspire to live up to the words of Paul in his letter to Timothy: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.”
Blessings to you and the City of San Buenaventura.
{ 34 comments… read them below or add one }
I wrote the following before reading your blog entry. Sorry to see you go. I don’t know what politicians want in a city manager . . . but if an opening occurs in Oxnard, please feel free to apply and good luck!
“To me, a city manager should be the smartest person in the room, able to answer any question posed by either the public or the council regarding city business. The pay and benefit package demands this level of excellence. Anything less is unacceptable. For too long Oxnard has had sub-standard managers. It is a far too important position to fill simply to mollify gender or ethnic quota constituencies. The manager also stamps his imprimatur on the entire organisation; if the manager lacks ethics, the entire work force becomes ungrounded. Is Mr. Cole perfect? I don’t know but he is certainly better than what we’ve been exposed to here in Oxnard.”
Rick,
As someone who had the privilage of working with you and your staff for four years I must say that you should be proud of the work you did. I wish you well in your future endevors.
Bill Finley
Rick,
All the best, and many thanks for your passion, dedication, vision, and so many positive contributions in guiding and energizing our city. I have enjoyed working with you. I have been grateful for your responsiveness. I wish you much happiness in this moment and in all that is yet to come.
Fondly,
Lori
Ah Rick – it takes a while, but karma always comes through. Sometimes listening with an open mind is better than just supporting one’s own position.
Take care mon vieux, good luck to you!
http://www.taitradio.com/news-and-media/news/tait-appoints-new-cio
Rick – its been a pleasure and honor to have the opportunity to work with you. Looking forward to hearing what’s next. Best wishes for the next phase in your life, and greetings from Croatia.
Rick,
I am sad to hear you are leaving. Having worked for the city under your manage took me a while to understand how well you could see the development of the city and its government. This is a big loss for Ventura and its citizens. Best of times and luck to you and your family and I’m looking forward to seeing you around town.
PS. The council dropped the ball again.
Tim Farrell
Just heard the great news! City Council finally kicked you to the curb.
Now my only question is how much are we going to lose on the house the City bought for you? When will you be repaying the citizens who had to suffer through your awful “leadership”? 120 days isn’t much time to come up with $350K. By my reckoning, the citizens of Ventura have lost $150K+ on potential interest for that home loan. Well, I’ll just consider it the price we have to pay to get rid of you.
Good riddance to bad rubbish!
It’s always nice to see such class in Ventura!
PS: Lets see if you have the ‘nads to publish my comment…
Guess he did publish it, which I guess makes him a better man than you and probably me for being so personal.
Yo Rick, I heard this rumor at least a month ago hence my last e-mail to you asking if it were true. Although you chose not to answer my e-mail I took your silence as affirmative.
I wish I could say I was sorry to see you go but …… anyway Adios Amigo, I hope you don’t come back as a highly paid consultant.
Rellis Smith
Sorry to see you set aside in this manner. I respect the work you’ve done and your openness and candor in a nearly impossible job.
Congratulations on making such a graceful exit – I have no doubt you’ll thrive in your next step, even as those among your detractors will have ample time to miss the integrity of your stewardship.
Good managers are hard to find, in business AND in government. A note to those who might today be celebrating a political victory with Mr. Cole’s ouster, filed in the “be careful what you wish for” category: it pays to remember what trappers have always known: “Every animal has just enough brains to tan its own hide.”
May we all have sufficient brains to keep our own hides off the frame, at least for another day. Good luck and good fortune to you, Rick — it’s entirely possible that they did you a great service today; time will surely tell.
Will a long sighted enviromental quality oriented city manager even be possible in the small minded politics that seem to be taking root in Ventura. I am so disappointed, though not just locally. Are we going to become a microcosm of the federal and state dysfunctional systems? It has been a good few years. Please I hope it does not become undone.
Gotta give you props for publishing my comment.
Thanks to all the generous comments and best wishes.
I’m acutely conscious that millions of Americans are without work today. I’ve tried to resist the too-often prevailing mentality that puts oneself first. I’ve been fortunate to serve the City and grateful for the opportunity to be City Manager since 2004.
For those who are critical — I welcome your sentiments as well. Lisette is right: “listening with an open mind is better than just supporting one’s own position.” I think we all struggle with that.
Finally, Mr. Preston, I understand the sore point on housing assistance. It’s not a business that employers should have gotten into, but when prices were going through the roof, many public agencies in expensive housing markets (including this one) felt compelled to consider it to be able to be competitive for experienced senior managers. I was not the first or last in Ventura, although the program was suspended, then terminated, when economic forces reversed.
The City invested $325,000 into the home I purchased in 2004. They are on title as owning 48% although I pay all the insurance, taxes and upkeep. The principal, or 48% of the sale price, whichever is higher, is due within six months of my leaving city employment. The Council has extended that period to 36 months rather than force a fire sale that would result in a loss.
You are correct, although on the high side, about significant lost interest earnings. Back in 2004, most people would have wagered that the City would be splitting equity appreciation rather than a big loss. For someone who probably would value my service to the City as a negative number, I know it is of little comfort, but I have never taken any of the performance bonuses outlined in my contract and have always been paid significantly less than my predecessor, not to mention several other city employees. To set an example in tough times, I volunteered to take a 5% pay cut in 2009 and then in 2010 volunteered to increase that to 7%, which continues.
The subject of managerial pay in both the private and public sector is a controversial one, so we will leave that for another day. Thanks for the “props.”
Rick,
You are a class act. As a new resident and business owner in Ventura, your openness and ability to communicate the issues was a new and welcome experience.
The Midtown Corridor Code and General Plan vision drew our business to Ventura. You have built a solid foundation for the community’s future – a future I couldn’t be more excited about!
I am glad to see you are staying in Ventura and hope to meet you soon.
Joshua Pemberton
Rick — Ventura is richer by virtue of your having served as its city manager. It will be poorer as a result of your having to leave. I know I speak for many when I say that we appreciate having had a city manager who is honest, creative, articulate and fully committed to the public interest. On the bright side, it is encouraging that you will still be part of our community.
I am sorry to see you pushed aside in this manner. You have done an excellent job in very difficult circumstances, earning the respect of a great many people. Ventura has become a great place to live because of your farsighted leadership and that of many council members. I worry about the “new directions” in which an apparent majority now wants to go.
Thank you for your service. I wish you well.
Rick,
I appreciate your creative and stable guidance during your tenure. I look forward to bumping into you on the promenade and saying hello to an honored neighbor
Rick,
Thank you for doing a superb job leading us!
I don’t think the City Council will find a better replacement. I am anxious to hear what this “new direction” will be. You have guided us toward sanity and sustainability. What is the other direction?
Selfishly, I too, am glad to know that you will still be a part of our community.
Rick,
I can’t believe the city council could be so shortsighted! I have lived in Ventura since 1983. When you took office in 2004, you were like a breath of fresh air. You have done a remarkable job of updating and improving our city. I am sorry the council doesn’t realize what a treasure we have in you. I want to thank you and wish you well. Our loss will be some other city’s gain.
Dear Rick,
What sad news to read today about the city manager position. I have seen this City Council to become out of control and make the rules as they go. You have been the voice of reason the one really great listener who could find the point they were trying to make.
I always felt you had great morals and ethics and showed extreme kindness when it came to the homeless. Im glad you are staying here and told the truth about your leaving this way the rumor mill will run out of steam.
All my best,
Michele and Michael Di Mauro
Mr. Cole, thank you for the City hall ramp for we wheelchair users. Sorry I won’t be able to use it to visit you. I look forward to working with you elsewhere in the community.
Liz Campos
Rick,
Your vision of a vibrant sustainable community in Ventura, dedication to seeing Ventura through tough economic times, and an approachable management style will be greatly missed. We were so lucky to have had you as our City Manager and I have no idea why the City Coucil thinks they can do better. Thank you for all you have done for Ventura. I agree with Mary Lou Fonzo, our loss will be another City’s gain.
… And retiring with a DEFINED BENEFIT retirement package — that which Mr. Cole tried so hard to deny police officers, firefighters, teachers and the hard working public workers in this city.
@Fritzwilliam: You’ve turned my views on pension reform upside down. I’ve spent four years at the local and State level working to ensure the defined benefit pension system for public employees is restored to sustainability. As a state, we went off track in 1999 when an overwhelming vote by both parties (deluded by a soaring stock market) ratcheted up benefits to unsustainable levels. Pension reform is restoring the balance. I’ve served for more more than three years on the City Manager’s pension reform task force for the League of California Cities. Our publicly available white paper clearly spells out our goals, including: “The primary goal of a public pension program should be to provide a full-career employee with pension benefits which, when combined with private savings, maintain the employee’s standard of living in retirement.” But unrealistic benefit levels will bankrupt the system, taking employee retirement security and local service levels down with them. That’s why the unanimous Ventura City Council and the City Manager pension reform task force I serve on supported Governor Brown’s reform package (see my next blog post on the Legislature’s compromise measure.)
Apparently some of the current City of Ventura Council members didn’t take a course in Government in high school or college so they don’t know how a City Manager form of government works.
They better change the city charter if they want to run things their way.
After reading the comments, you must have faith to survive in your position. I can’t tell you how refreshing it is to here honest discourse from a public official. You were always a thoughtful guy even back at Oxy. Maybe the constraints of public office have now opened a new door for you. I just read your column in the LA Times. You would be a fine addition to the editorial staff.
Take care and God Bless
Rick, you are my urban hero. More than anyone I know you understand what makes cities – i.e., people living and working together towards common goals that enhance shared place – successfully tick. Politics, especially in adolescent America, too often fails to get this. We share a love for public service despite the hard knocks. Yet there are many ways to help raise the collective boat. Congratulations for all you’ve accomplished and kudos to the next entity that will soar with your clear, bright guiding light.
Ann
City Leadership isn’t about making everyone happy. It’s about making hard decisions while keeping your eye the goals (ie. General Plan) we as a community set for ourselves, with your help. Thank you for your passionate, courageous and intelligent leadership. You leave the job with Ventura better than it was before you came. And in these times that is quite an accomplishment. I have no doubt that great opportunities await you. I’m glad to know you will continue to call Ventura your home.
Friendship and honor,
Nick
Rick, you have not only done a quality job for the City of Ventura but you have also represent the best that the city management profession has to offer. Your written commentaries have been insightful and I hope will continue. You were among the first to speak out for attention to ethics and transparency in government. You went beyond Ventura to offer assistance to the people of Bell and others to help restore peoples faith in their local government. I am proud to work with you as a colleague, and to know you as a friend. I know you will find a way to stay engaged. Perhaps the LA Times will hire you as a columnist.
Gary
Rick, I have been in disbelief that you are being made to leave your post. You have been a fair, transparent, accountable and professional City Manager, during which Ventura has become a model for other cities in many categories. With your successes having been well documented and your failings few, I don’t know what “new direction” the (bare) majority of City Council wants to have but they are unlikely to find someone with your abilities and integrity to implement it.
Not for publication! Ann said that many city workers, who had to make a special effort to come to city hall to sign the card for you, made that effort.
There were lots of very nice things said about you by people I had the pleasure of being introduced to at the reception. Loved Alicia’s intro!! she’s a great gal. We had fun those many year’s ago when we walked the fair grounds and tried to come up with ideas.