Time for a NEW CITY MANAGER:

Here are the reasons why:

The easiest justification is to Save Money. It is time that the real value of the job is put back within reason. The average Income of a Citizen in Grand Terrace should be the maximum paid to the City manager.. plus say 20 percent. No House, No Personal Car, and No Business Trips held in Vegas or Disney World. No reimbursement for Business lunches with Council Members or Citizens and existing business owners in Grand Terrace.

The City Manager's Job in this city is hardly a full time job. A Contract for Fire Protection, A Trash Contract, and A Power Contract, and A Police Contract are the only legitimate work for the City Manager. This work was expanded to dabble into Redevelopment, and that has resulted in laws suits, Bond Debt and quite frankly a decline in the sustainability of our community by the removal of productive agriculture and not replacing it with Productive Work and intending to survive off of the income produced by Sales Tax on the Sale of Imported Product while Grand Terrace Produces a Grand Terrace a Economic Deficit.

Wages of most Grand Terrace Citizens have been stagnant for years, many have lost their jobs, many others have had their incomes reduced. It is time that the City Council trims the top of the Income by removing both of the Over Priced City Managers and replace them with a city manager that will accept an income of 55,000 to 65,000 per year as that is the true value of the job being done. Stop paying for their Ego.

There is Cause for Termination of both Schwab and Berry:

Schwab knew Berry was working in Loma Linda Promoting Higher Density Development, and getting paid for this political activity. He failed to report it timely to the Council, and the Council should terminate both of them for this violation alone.

Schwab has a long list of boondoggles that he has lead the city to the benefit to only the Schwab hired City Attorney as they all end up costing the City Legal Costs. Out Door Adventure Center, the Barton Road Redevelopment and the Threatened use of Eminent Domain, The Failure to provide Environmental Impact Studies and Traffic Mitigation for projects not once but TWICE. The no bid selection of Developers and Vendors. The lack of accountability of funds for events where Cash and Donations are being spent, for Halloween Haunt, Grand Terrace Days, and the Private Party called Grand Terrace Gala. Grand Terrace City Employees are used to support these events and not once has their time use been reported to the City Council as requested by the Council and Public.

Now is an opportunity to start fresh. Get the High Cost of both these City Managers off the City's back. Be bold and frank with the real financial status of the City including the long term Redevelopment Debt Burden we are under. We need a new city Manager, and it should not be Schwab or Berry.


Schwab: I'm back
Former GT city manager wants his old job
Stephen Wall, Staff Writer
Posted: 05/02/2009 08:10:18 PM PDT


GRAND TERRACE - Former City Manager Tom Schwab wants his job back.
Schwab, 51, says he has fully recovered from a life-threatening brain injury that hospitalized him for more than two months last summer.

But Schwab is facing competition for the position from his former right-hand man, who wants the job himself.

Acting City Manager Steve Berry has been running the city since Schwab suffered a subdural hematoma in June.

"The doctors basically told my parents I wouldn't make it," Schwab said in an interview Friday from his Lark Street home. "I'm lucky just to be alive."

A few months ago, Schwab doubted whether he could return to the helm of the city government.

In November, Schwab told Berry that he wanted his former assistant to become the permanent city manager.

They met in December and agreed that Berry would move into Schwab's office.

Schwab signed a six-month contract in December agreeing to work part time as a consultant making recommendations on the 2009-2010 budget.

In January, Schwab had a change of heart, asking Berry to wait until his contract ends in June to take over his office.

Despite his limited duties, Schwab has been paid the equivalent of his $178,800 annual salary since his injury. He is getting $45,000 for his consulting work and is using all of his sick leave and vacation pay.

Schwab said his health has improved so dramatically in recent weeks that he should get his old job back immediately. He said he got his driver's license back two weeks ago and no longer has to rely on his two daughters to care for him.
"All my doctors have cleared me to return to work full time," Schwab told the City Council last week. "I no longer have doctors' appointments or therapies related to this condition."

Berry, meanwhile, continues to run the city as acting city manager.

Schwab, who became city manager in 1989, hired Berry as assistant city manager in 2001. The council in October gave Berry a temporary 10percent pay raise because of his added workload as acting city manager.

Berry, 46, now earns nearly $135,000 a year.

The behind-the-scenes drama over the job became public last week when more than a dozen former elected officials and community leaders urged the council to reinstate Schwab as city manager.

The council on Tuesday had a closed-session item related to employment of the city manager. Worried the council was going to hire Berry as city manager, Schwab's supporters came to his defense.

Mayor Maryetta Ferre told the group the council was going to discuss the process for selecting a city manager, not hire someone that night.

Schwab said he has been asked by City Attorney John Harper to propose a contract for the council to consider.

"I want the same exact contract I had before. I don't want any more or any less," Schwab said.

Schwab said Berry has been lining up support to get the city manager's job.

"The whole time I was in the hospital, I think he was definitely working to displace me from my position," Schwab said.

Schwab said Berry has done an "adequate" job as acting city manager, but he was sharply critical of Berry's recommendation to lay off five employees in January.

Berry, a Riverside resident, defended the layoffs as necessary to preserve the city's financial health. He said he is "more than qualified" for the job.

The proposed budget that will be presented to the council this month is balanced and contains no work furloughs, no full-time employee layoffs and no tax increases, Berry said.

"During this last year, I have not been a baby sitter," Berry said. "With the support of the council, we've moved the city forward, made structural changes at City Hall and resolved the legal issues that had been hampering us."

The council is expected to discuss the city manager issue in closed session May12. Besides considering Berry and Schwab, the council could look at outside candidates to fill the position.