Junction City Commissioner Mick McCallister Friday issued a state responding to comments by City Manager Gerald Smith one week ago after Smith had tendered his resignation

This week the City Commission approved the separation agreement and release for Smith.

Smith’s resignation followed a negative response from many to his proposals outlined in a State of the City Address.  Those proposals included his ideas for addressing the City debt and infrastructure needs.

McCallister stated the action to accept Smith’s resignation was “due to the lack of what he was hired for. When hired Mr. Smith indicated great experience in cost conservation, planning detailed business plans, communication and execution of that plan.  For six months Mr. Smith’s lack of communication of how and what was to be presented came to a “my way or the highway” mentality. He had ideas and submitted them without a plan of action. Or the detail. His alienation of the public lead deeper into his inability to communicate.”

McCallister noted Smith is smart, articulate, but lacks the ability to lead.  He stated, “The lack of communication to the Commission was evident with the surprise announcement that the State of the City Address was to be a taped presentation. ” McCallister noted, “Had the Commission been given the chance to review the tape it would not have been the same presentation. This alone was not the reason for no longer requiring his services. He had six months to come up with a plan and could not. We need leadership not articulate speakers. The lack of community involvement and being a part of this great community was increasingly estranged.

McCallister said, “The message remains the same….we are in financial distress and will have to come up with ways to gain revenues to make the needed repairs required to our infrastructure. We will have to reach out to the community through meetings, town halls, listening sessions, workgroups, task force committees, and overall communication to determine what direction our town needs to go for our future. We are in this together. Together we will solve our issues with cooperation and communication.”

On the search for a successor in the city manager’s position McCallister they’re looking for someone who give them a plan and detailed outlook on how to reach their destination.

The Commissioner noted it’s his understanding the Austin Peters Group has done much of the leg work so another company would not have to be found to do the head hunting. “Maybe a situation we don’t need head hunting. Maybe we have the folks who can do that for us, that are locally.”