O’Connell has served city well

City Manager Gary O’Connell has handed Charlottesville City Council a big job: Finding a replacement.

Mr. O’Connell will become the executive director of the Albemarle County Service Authority come May, ending nearly three decades in city management. His tenure with Charlottesville has been exemplary.

Mr. O’Connell was chosen as city government’s top executive in 1995 upon the retirement of Cole Hendrix, having served as deputy city manager for the preceding 14 years.

Mr. Hendrix was a dynamic, energetic leader, a big personality, a major figure in many areas of local government. When his departure was announced, many people believed that filling his shoes would be a big job.

Mr. O’Connell stepped in and made it look easy.

Of course, one of the reasons that happened was that he was already knowledgeable about every detail of the city’s existing policies and programs.

But Mr. O’Connell made the position his own, not just an extension of his predecessor’s. He did it through pragmatism and common sense, administered with his no-fuss, get-the-job-done performance style.

Under his guidance, Charlottesville improved its economic outlook, bolstered its infrastructure, addressed social concerns ranging from historic preservation to energy consumption — and more.

Indeed, in the mid-’90s, the economic outlook for Charlottesville was so dire that reversion was under consideration — giving up city status and reverting to town status as part of Albe-marle County. Mr. O’Connell helped the city work the crisis and then helped set it on a path to economic development which has dramatically improved Charlottesville’s fortunes and restored soundness to the system.

He brought to the job an ability to work with every segment of the city’s constituency in a balanced and fair approach. He knitted interests together. He treated each as equally important.

His current employers hint that those qualities may be useful in improving city-county relations in Mr. O’Connell’s new employment.

“I’m hoping he can help tone down [acrimonious] rhetoric” between the city and county over water issues, said Mayor Dave Norris.

For his part, Mr. O’Connell noted that the community water is a bigger issue than either the city or county can claim alone.

“There are plenty of issues that are city versus county,” he added. “I’m hopeful I bring both perspectives.”

Mr. O’Connell was deeply knowledgeable about all areas of its government and services, but gave as one of his reasons for taking the new job the desire to develop deeper expertise in a single area. Water issues and environmental concerns are already considered among his particular strengths, and these will come strongly into play in his position with the county service authority.

Much of his legacy was accomplished behind the scenes, without drama.

City residents owe him more than they can imagine.

Truly, it will be difficult to fill his shoes. City Council has a big job ahead of it.

We wish him the best as he wraps up his tenure with Charlottesville and moves to his new position with Albe-marle.