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| Cincinnati Looking For City Hall Flack |
CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The new position is called
"Executive Public Information Officer" and the annual paycheck won't be lower than $85,000. It could go as high as $115,000. Whoever gets the post is supposed to
"play a pivotal role in the coordination of communications with the general public, City Council and the news media." On top of that, the super flack also will be an executive level aide to City Manager Milton Dohoney Jr. He apparently wants someone with six years of prior government or business service to serve as what's being called a sidekick and strategic counsel. A journalism of public relations background doesn't seem to count, although the duties include acting as the city's official moutpiece. Interestingly, some of the job responsibilities include serving as a buffer between the city administration and the council -- sort of a new layer of bureaucracy.
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| City's Super Flack Annoucement |
Paperwork submitted to the city's civil service commission says the required education and experience shall include:
"Each applicant must have six years of responsible experience in public administration management, business administration, or a closely related filed, and a Bachelor's Degree from an accredited institution with major course work in public administration, management or a closely related field. A Master's Degree is preferred."
Here's a list of the duties:
- Drafts correspondence for the City Manager.
- Serves as lead communications staff on mayor city projects, including overseeing contractors, developing timelines, messages, and implementing strategies.
- Develops and maintains relations with the media; provides backgrounding and context for stories as they are developing; explains city procedures as needed and coordinates appropriate departmental response, as needed.
- Represents [the] City Manager to community and corporate partners, as needed.
- Serves as spokesperson for the City Manager and Administrative departments.
- Oversees staff if the office of cable communications to produce programming for Citicable, video productions to better explain city initiatives; and monthly cable television public affairs shows.
- Researches and drafts speeches for the City Manager and Assistant City Managers.
- Responds to requests for information from the City Council.
- Attends meetings as assigned; prepares and presents reports and materials as appropriate.
- Provide crisis communications leadership and response as appropriate.
- Coordinate communications activities with community partners in promoting the City of Cincinnati and the region.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Donohey is a complete waste of human flesh. Wasting funds on the City Hall atrium project and now this unneeded mouth piece and more cash thrown at another of his whims. Does this mean the unnecessary Meg Olberding is headed out the door. The city has carried hear rear-end on the payroll for too long. Has Donhoney figured out where the remainder of the streetcar funds is going to come from?
ReplyDeleteThe city is trying to move into the 21st century. We can't keep operating like it was 1930. Charlie Luken and the other mayors could handle the press.
ReplyDeleteIt is fairly clear that the city is undertaking a digital/media overhaul in the face of the decline of the traditional media. The Enquirer and other outlets are shrinking, moving behind pay walls, abandoning their tradtional areas of coverage and interests. So the city must evolve and pick up some of the load that was done by newspapers, radio and other outlets. Change is happening.
ReplyDeleteDohoney should spend city resources on serving city residents, not performing PR for an incompetent Mayor and City Manager
ReplyDeleteI figure the city needs a person like this---and given the pulse of the city right now I think the Mayor and the city Manager deserve some praise. And that is rare praise from me.
ReplyDelete