Left In Lowell

Tonight, the Lowell City Council Sub-Committee on Personnel (K. Broderick, Chair; Bill Martin and Joe Mendonca) will meet to discuss the January 5th approved motion “Requesting the City Council to negotiate a Successor Contract with City Manager Bernard F. Lynch.”

The City Manager’s contract runs out this July. I do not think there is the political will to give him a raise this year but we all need to remember that the man has never received a raise (not even cost of living) since he arrived here four years ago. The contract has to be long term with goals and objectives clearly defined so that he can be held accountable for shortcomings as well as rewarded for successes.

He is one of the hardest working guys in the City with a great knowledge of municipal finances and operations. The only knock his detractors have is the communication thing. I have always thought that the CM’s major critics were those who want to be the City’s alpha dog or want to be part of a kitchen cabinet of some kind.

The Sub-Committee meeting takes place in Council Chambers at 6:30 p.m. and as usual will be televised live by on your local access television, LTC’s Channel 10. And if you are away from a television set you can always watch it on your computer via video streaming.