TODAY’S BLOG #676: The new city manager for London has been plucked from the top ranks of the City of Hamilton administration. The mayor says he’s courageous and has a particular talent for bringing diverse groups together – attributes he will find necessary to be successful in the Forest City.
Friday, May 18, 2012 – London
Arthur Zuidema begins his new job as city manager of London on an auspicious day – the 13th of August. At least it’s a Monday, not a Friday.
Mr. Zuidema, 49, who goes by Art, is currently director of corporate initiatives for the City of Hamilton, the larger twin to nearby Burlington where the former city manager, Jeff Fielding, is now employed.
The persistent City Hall rumour is Mr. Fielding left because of meddling by the mayor and the inability of city council to get its act together.
Mr. Zuidema told a news conference after a 40-minute in camera council meeting that ultimately confirmed his appointment he is “looking forward to working with city council.”
Introducing him to the media and the public, Mayor Joe Fontana called the new city manager “courageous.”
He will need to be.
Mayor Fontana also said this of the new hire: “He is a young, dynamic leader with an impressive knowledge of the city. He is a strategic thinker, bold and courageous. He will help our city council look into the future.”
That, of course, is exactly the job of a city manager and it was on exactly this point where ultimately Mr. Fielding and the mayor and a slim majority on council parted ways. Mr. Fielding, who during his eight-year term is credited with getting the city’s finances in order and putting London on a careful and orderly forward path, bridled at the more gung ho growth at any cost Mayor Fontana espouses.
Where does Mr. Zuidema fit on that spectrum? He wasn’t asked that question during the short media event, but in his most recent role in Hamilton he was “responsible for strategic planning, corporate-wide initiatives, communications and chairing the senior management team.”
He has a planning background – bachelors degree in environmental studies (urban and regional planning). But he also has a law degree and two masters degrees in public administration and business administration, the latter from the Ivey School at Western.
So his educational background would certainly indicate he’s both a left-brain and right-brain thinker, which could be exactly the kind of all-round intellect we need to deal with a city council that goes both ways, sometimes at the same time.
Mr. Zuidema – and it’s pronounced Zoo-Doo-Mah – was asked what he saw as his challenges in assuming the top administrative job at City Hall in London. His answer certainly shows he has political savvy too. He said he was anxious to “get engaged with the city’s investment strategy,” and he called “council’s vision a good one.”
At present the city’s investment strategy is nowhere. City council’s chosen committee, responsible for investment and economic prosperity, continues to struggle with $600 million worth of investment ideas but not a single idea how to raise funds for an investment. And the strategic plan passed by council last year is more white space and big pictures than inspiring vision, although it does introduce the new slogan, London: City of Opportunity.
For Mr. Zuidema it will be. He will almost double his salary, from $137,572 he earned last year in Hamilton to “twice what I make,” said the mayor, which puts him somewhere in the $225,000 range. It is less than Mr. Fielding was making when he left in January.
On the plus side, though, he was selected from a large pool of contenders – more than 100 people applied, “a wealth of great candidates,” said Mayor Fontana. In the end he was the unanimous choice of the Finance and Administrative Services Committee which made the final selection. One of the committee members privately described Mr. Zuidema as “a smart guy with good ‘street smarts’, well-liked by everyone in Hamilton – citizens and politicians.”
At the news conference Mayor Fontana, who chairs that committee, said Mr. Zuidema “has an extensive record of bringing diverse teams of people together to deliver results.”
Let’s hope it was this particular skill which raised him to the top in council’s mind because, Lord knows, that is a diverse team which really needs to be brought together.
