A well-run city - Warner for Mayor

Management elements of a well-run city--Here are some of the management elements that I would pursue as mayor:

• Put the good of the city above all else. If the data and the true subject-matter experts point in one direction for the common good, the city should not yield to special interests or loud voices that point in another. The mayor should give the experts the political cover to get things done.
  

• Extensive, fact-based benchmarking to see how Northampton stacks up against peer communities in terms of the levels of services provided and the efficiency of our operations.
  

• Multi-year budgeting with detailed, time-series forecasting of revenue and expenses, and testing of alternative assumptions and scenarios.
  

• Capital budgeting that includes a structured "call for projects" with clear evaluation criteria and that distinguishes between state of good repair, normal replacement, and new initiatives.  
  

• Regular efforts to identify and mitigate threats to key systems and infrastructure
  

• An honest, transparent, and sustainable plan to meet the city's long-term liability for retiree health care, pension and other post-employment benefits.
  

• Formal, consequential, and consistently applied performance evaluations .  Train managers and negotiate this as part of collective bargaining if needed.
  

• Labor contracts and personnel practices that treat city staff as valued and trusted professionals, but that assures a fair day's work for a fair day's pay and proper monitoring of overtime, absenteeism, workers comp, and post-retirement benefits.
  

• Well-strucutred and rigorously fair procurements to ensure the most competitive bids, with the best terms for the city.
  

• Acceptance of state and foundation grants only if they fit with our long term plans and if the program benefits are worth the ongoing costs to the city for operations and maintenance.
  

• On-time bill payment to attract more vendors and qualify for vendor discounts.
  

• Professionalism and fairness in all dealings with colleagues and the public.