Fred Warchol: Signs point to inside candidate for Atwater city hall job

There must be a big neon sign in front of Atwater city hall that reads: Keep Out. We already know it applies to citizens that believe they can conduct business on Fridays – a day that city hall is always closed.

But it’s also a warning to anyone who applies to replace the retiring city manager – the one who came onboard with no experience and quickly proved the folly of such a decision.

Though there is a public search for his replacement, and the response from competent and experienced candidates has been great, it’s all a sham. The good ol’ boys at city hall have already predestined one of their own to take the reins power.

Unless there is a public outcry, the city council will replace the present, ineffective, insider with another insider who has never held the office. That would be a monumental mistake, because the city remains in a perilous financial condition.

Atwater decision makers should remove the “Keep Out” sign from city hall and get the good ol’ boys out of the way of open government. The need to drain this swamp is long overdue!

This story was originally published December 15, 2016 at 10:28 AM with the headline "Fred Warchol: Signs point to inside candidate for Atwater city hall job."