LITTLE ROCK — Mayor-elect Joe Smith said Thursday that he hopes to have a new general manager hired for North Little Rock’s Electric Department in March and named City Attorney Jason Carter as interim manager until that time.
Mike Russ, the utility’s general manager since July 2008, made it public Wednesday that he is resigning effective Dec. 16 to take a position with Arkansas Electric Cooperative.
Mayor Patrick Hays, whose sixth term ends Dec. 31, said Wednesday night that Smith would make the decision on who will replace Russ because of the timing of the move.
Russ said he had privately told Hays of his plans to resign a few days before announcing it publicly.
Smith, the city’s commerce and governmental affairs director for the past 20-plus years, won a runoff for mayor Nov. 27. He takes office Jan. 1.
“It’s sad for the city of North Little Rock to lose his [Russ’] experience, but there are other Mike Russes out there and we’re going to find a good one,” Smith said.
Smith said the search to replace Russ would be “deliberate, unrushed and comprehensive.”
“The biggest mistakes in management are usually made when you get in a hurry,” Smith said. “We’re not going to get in a hurry.”
Smith said the goal is to have someone hired in March, providing about 90 days to advertise for, interview and hire a new general manager.
The department has about 37,000 customers in North Little Rock and part of Sherwood.
In the interim, Carter will split his time between the city attorney’s office and the department. Carter has worked closely with Russ and other utility personnel in helping to guide the utility into a rapidly changing market for purchasing and delivering power to customers.
“We have transactions in the queue that are ongoing and decisions that have to be made regarding long-term strategy for the Electric Department and I’ve been involved in those with Mike,” Carter said. “I think that’s the primary reason I was asked to pick up the ball at this stage of the game.”
Splitting duties, he said, will require handing over the work he generates as city attorney to others and that his staff will “keep doing their jobs.”
Smith said: “Thank goodness we have Jason, who has worked so closely with the Electric Department’s people for the last two years and that he’s willing to move in as interim general manager and share his responsibilities of the city attorney’s office, too.”
Carter said he will receive no added pay for the dual jobs, unless the City Council approves an increase. Salaries for the three full-time, elected positions in the city — mayor, city attorney and city clerk — are set by the City Council.
Smith said the power market and the city-owned utility have changed drastically in the past two decades. Recent calls for North Little Rock to establish an electric commission to oversee the utility and set customer rates will be seriously looked at, Smith said. The City Council essentially oversees the utility and its $116 million budget now.
Raising the salary structure of specialized utility employees will also be considered strongly at some point, he said, in order to have stability in the department.
“It takes experienced, dedicated people to do what they do and the market price for those kinds of professionals has passed us by,” Smith said referring to department personnel. “There are many other reasons to do a utility commission, not just salaries. I’ve been in casual conversation about going to a commission in the last 12 months. Now I think we’ll take it more seriously.”
Smith added that a City Council decision on establishing an electric commission could come in 2013.
Arkansas, Pages 20 on 12/09/2012