Our Financial Officer/City Manager is Leaving

Robert Benecke will leave his position in September 2004. It is hard to imagine Englewood without Bob. He is a phenomenal chief financial officer with the rare gift to negotiate contracts with the many different unions this city has. Other cities hire expensive consultants for the difficult negotiations with union personnel. However, Bob does it himself saving money for the city. He is fair to the homeowners and taxpayers and as an independent thinker manages well the difficult task of having five bosses – the five elected councilman – plus the mayor, who does not vote, but still has a lot to say. Bob knows the city as well as his own home. Moreover, he knew it well before he became City Manager, because he held the position of Chief Financial Officer for many years.

Although he has a well-deserved tenure as CFO, he is leaving that security behind. Bob has many opportunities in the private sector and he can choose wherever he wants to go next. Replacing him will be difficult and we foresee hiring two or three people to do his work in addition to several consultants for labor negotiations and contracts. For us as taxpayers, replacement may cost almost triple what we are paying now. More pensions, more benefits, and multiple fees to the consultants.

We are grateful that Bob is staying for eighteen months, instead of leaving in sixty days as allowed in this contract. He will make appropriate compensation which is in the city budget.

Leaving money aside, Bob will be missed because he is a real friend of Englewood. He serves on the Board of Flat Rock Brook Nature Center voluntarily giving his skills. Bob also serves on the Board of the John Harms Center for the Arts, which currently is in financial trouble and he has been holding successful fund raising events. These two tax-exempt organizations will miss him as well.

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