This is ridiculous! The direct reports of the City executive branch CEO, unelected though he may be, are analogous to cabinet positions and should serve at the pleasure of the CEO. In other words, the City Manager can pick whom ever he wants subject to Council approval. Its hard to imagine that Nesky isn't qualified for the promotion since he was Chief Perez's right arm from almost inception. And what message is sent to Nesky if he is not given the promotion?

The money spent on the Mercer Group would be much better spent to search for a new city manager. Our current city manager has been the unelected head of the City for 18 years now, and has turned Bowie into his own private fiefdom financed by public taxation.

Richard

Look Richard, guys like you claim our governments pass out too many entitlements, yet you’re going to propose to the city one what to do. Let the city leaders do their jobs. Cities to my knowledge are not in the business of sending out messages to employees. Nesky and all employees work in Bowie because he or she chooses to. They are responsible for their careers. The chief left. What kind of message did she send? The right one; people come and go as they please. Employers get to decide who they want to hire and how they want to go about doing it. The city owes it to its community to conduct a search and not just promote your guy. If he is all that you say he is, he will be competitive in the process. Funny, all these issues are being pointed out yet the former chief and Nesky are the best?

I will add that I would probably respect this Nesky guy more if he had just applied for the post and not make an unnecessary statement to the media and his employers in such a public way about his intentions to apply; so are about 150 other people I imagine once the job gets advertised. This is not an election; it is a job search folks.

Mr Smalls: To be fair, John Nesky responded to my question via email asking if he intended to apply for the job. I would hardly call that making an "unnecessary statement to the media."

Would you prefer he be coy about his intentions and dodge a direct question?

Thanks for reading.

I would like to have a more of a police presence in all the neighborhoods , by the high school and library,and at all of the shopping areas. The Bowie"Town Center" is a haven for criminals. I know there has been a lot of effort to reduce speeding , and speeding is a real problem, but I would prefer that I feel safe going to the library or walking my dog in my neighborhood. I don't know any of the Bowie police.... all I know is that they didn't seem concerned last summer when a dog was locked in a closed car and the temp outside was in the 90's....and yes i did file a complaint at city hall!

In enjoyed Mimi Rauck's column about the selection of a new chief. I am glad she is writing again. In a long line of Bowie Blade writers she was one of the very best.

Well to be fair to Mr. Nesky, an honest question deserves an honest answer. My point comes with some passion though, because I know from professional experiences how difficult it can be for qualified aspirants to compete in these kinds of searches where the media, at the urgence of the candidate, commences to literally campaign for the job when the primary qualification is homefield advantage when you compare their backgrounds to others. I will also admit that I will carefully read the ad and may submit an application as well. Cities do tend to claim that qualified minorities are not applying for these positions. With me they'll get at least one. But, my apologies to all; and I appreciate the civil debate on the topic.

Has the assistant to the Police Chief been hired yet? I think the personnel office @ City Hall should send out letters to all applicants to keep them updated.