Case 1
Replacing the Police Chief

This case study examines the predicament of a city manager Will Spanning whose selection of a most experienced and qualified replacement for the chief of police faced stern opposition by a majority of an agenda-seeking city council who had the power to confirm or reject the appointment.
Question 1: What were the advantages and risks involved in pursuing Spanning’s recruitment plan?

Spanning’s recruitment plan was a thorough, comprehensive, and systematic strategy to procure the most appropriate and qualified individual for the position of police chief. It was a plan that provided checks and balances, allotted for contingencies and was multi-tier in evaluating each …show more content…

However, if there arose speculation that he was participating in any kind of unethical racketeering with regard to personnel appointments, or if perhaps his alliance with Redmond were not as strong as he may have thought and word of such contact were to spread, he would risk forever damaging his professional reputation and public image. Therefore under no circumstances should he have contacted Redmond about his son’s arrest.
Question 5: If Spanning decided to delay the council meeting and seek a compromise, what kind of compromise might achieve his purposes and be acceptable to the council?

The only way Spanning could safely suggest a delay of the council meeting was if, due to the circumstances of his son and wife’s arrest, Redmond could not be present for the meeting or if he somehow would not be able to objectively make a decision regarding matters of police while both his son and wife faced consequences of the criminal justice system. Then perhaps he could argue that holding the meeting at that time would not be in the best interest and safety of the community. Otherwise, there is no other way Spanning could accomplish a delay without appearing to be acting with a personal agenda.

Question 6: How might a compromise be initiated by Spanning? What would he need to do to execute a compromise without appearing weak or contradictory in the public eye? Spanning would need to be aware of the code of ethics that he subscribed to