City of Coral Gables: Salerno’s Achievements

The recently resigned city manager of the city of Coral Gables, Pat Salerno, published a list of achievements of his period of administration.

I think that these are his main achievements:

• Strong and decisive management.
• Minimization of the involvement of city commissioners in the day-to-day life of the municipal government.
• Weakening of the culture of fiefdoms in the city offices.
• Implementing sound financial management, including reducing taxes and growing reserves.
• Ameliorating exaggerated salaries, benefits, and pensions of police and fire services.
• Planned, organized and financed improvements in the city’s infrastructure and beautification.

Hopefully, the city commissioners will direct the new city manager to sustain the above culture, and not fall pry to the Slesnick/Brown culture of city commission intromission and micro-management.