NSBNEWS.net photo by Henry Frederick. New City Manager Pam Brangaccio and former Interim City Manager Khalid Resheidat work together at Monday's City Commission meeting, her first.
Pam Brangaccio had her first City Commission meeting Monday since being hired last month as interim city manager to replaced the fired John Hagood in February. By her side -- her right side -- was the former interim city manager, Khalid Resheidat.
They showed by their actions that two heads are better than one in explaining the nuances of a complex city budget, which was the main focus of Monday's meeting.
They worked together like clockwork, backing each other up on tough questions regarding the proposed budget initially drawn up by Resheidat and Finance Director Carol Rogers.
Resheidat, the longtime director of public works was interim after Hagood's ouster with Brangaccio the choice of the commission to be the next permanent city manager last month until she asked for a salary of $132,500 and the commission balked. Less than 24 hours later she propsed working for six months as an interim at $10,000 a month, plus $1,500 a month in housing and another $100 weekly in car allowance. She also stated she'd pay her own medical insurance. The idea was for both sides to get comfortable with each other and then draw up a long-term contract.
The commission is still reeling from the fat contract buy-out enjoyed by Hagood: His annual salary was $120,265.60. Hagood will have received $291,144.98 or $10 a month until his contract expires at the end of September.
Resheidat never openly campaigned for the job, but stepped up to the plate as an interim at the request of Mayor Sally Mackay. There have been no complains about his performance and even local critics of municipal government have praised his leadership.