Guess what, folks? East St. Louis, Illinois has just hired a new city manager. If you’re as underwhelmed as I am, it’s because East Boogie seemingly changes city managers as frequently as most people change their underwear.
The city manager du jour is the recently hired Courtney Logan, a 30-year-old attorney, former assistant state’s attorney and adjunct instructor at Saint Louis University School of Law, who just happens to be an East St. Louis native.
He’s also the city’s umpteenth city manager in recent years and the fifth city manager in less than one year. So the revolving door continues for the $100,000-a-year job. And we wonder why ESL government is so erratic and unstable?
Logan was hand-picked by Mayor Emeka Jackson-Hicks, who said that he “brings accountability, transparency, integrity, a new progressive energy and stamina” to the position.
I certainly hope that patience and thick skin are among his attributes, because once the “poli-tricks” and political gamesmanship resume, he will need them.
In fact, some wheeling and dealing may have already been afoot because Logan’s predecessor, Edith Moore, was to be replaced by Ishaq Shafiq, a former ESL city manager. But the deal fell through just one week prior to Logan’s hire.
On his part, Logan said that he is “very excited. I have an opportunity to do a lot of good for a lot of people.” That’s a hopeful message, but the reality (just ask his predecessors) is that if he doesn’t do the will of the ESL City Council, then he will be summarily flung back through the revolving door from which he emerged.
With a deficient budget, the result of a struggling Casino Queen, a mass exodus of the black middle class and an eroded tax base, Logan’s job will be daunting.
And while I wish this young, energetic city manager all the best in his attempts to place East Boogie on sound financial footing, I wouldn’t wish such a thankless, overwhelming job on my worst enemy.
Logan will need the full cooperation of the ESL City Council, elected officials and, more importantly, the citizens of ESL in order to be an effective manager of ESL’s affairs.
It’s not about fancy slogans, inspiring rhetoric or empty promises. East Boogie has been down that road for far too long, which has resulted in a political dead end.
I along with other citizens of ESL will be watching and awaiting Mr. Logan’s “assessment” of the mess which he has inherited and his prognosis for the future.
But Logan must also remember that, with a list of city managers longer than we can remember, he will be on an exceedingly short leash.
Email: jtingram_1960@yahoo.com; Twitter@JamesTIngram.
Logan will need the full cooperation of the ESL City Council, elected officials and, more importantly, the citizens of ESL in order to be an effective manager
