Welcome back to Manhattan, Danielle Dulin. Or as we like to put it around here, Manhattan, Welcome To. Inside joke. Don’t worry, you’ll get it. If you’re coming here from the west, it’s Exit 303, too. Just FYI.
Ms. Dulin, the pick as the new city manager, beat out 50 applicants for the job, including three well-qualified finalists. City commissioners formally approved her employment contract Tuesday night.
She brings solid experience, having served most recently as city manager in Warrensburg, Mo. She also held jobs as assistant city manager in several Johnson County suburbs. Those gigs should prepare her well; she’s been the person in charge, and she’s served under several other city managers, giving her context and perspective.
Ms. Dulin graduated from K-State with a bachelor’s in economics; she went to KU for a master’s in public administration. But, you know, everybody’s got their cross to bear.
She walks into a situation here that’s both good and bad. The city government’s financial picture is messy; officials are talking about either raising taxes or cutting up to 70 employees. That’s because in recent years the City Commission has dipped into reserves to fund operations, and obviously that can’t continue. I’m still not entirely sure of how that happened, and one of the things Ms. Dulin will need to do is shoot straight with the community about this issue.
Side note: She’ll start in October, so she won’t actually handle the budget problem this year. That will be the not-very-fun job of Jason Hilgers, the longtime deputy city manager here who’s filling in. But not all the problems will be solved at once. It’ll be a challenge.
She also inherits a city government that’s been well-run for decades, thanks to Ron Fehr, the man she’s replacing. There are very good people in place at City Hall, and good processes and precedents. It also appears that the City Commission itself — the group that hired her — works well together and represents a variety of viewpoints. There’s also a long tradition of that, which is a giant plus. And a tradition of good communication and coordination with other community institutions, including K-State, the county and the school district.
And then there’s Manhattan itself, which, as we all know, is a helluva town, for all the reasons you’re familiar with. The virtues of a small town; the connections and vibe of a much bigger city. The self-deprecation necessary to laugh about screwed-up billboards. Come to think of it, I think that’ll be my next column
Put simply, we’re lucky to have her, and, with all the modesty I can summon, she’s lucky to have us, too.
