By Kathryn Reed

Government agencies pay thousands of dollars for recruiting firms to find top level executives. Part of their job is to place the ads in select locations where those types of professionals look for jobs, part is to do the background checks, part is knowing many in this small pool of applicants and knowing the jurisdiction with the opening in order to find that perfect match.

Their expertise is such that the contract usually comes with a warranty of sorts if the new hire doesn’t stay a certain length of time.

The South Lake Tahoe City Council last month hired Prothman Executive Recruitment to find city manager and city attorney candidates.

Minutes from the April 17 meeting say, “It was the consensus of council to prioritize the hire of an interim and permanent city manager but to recruit for both city manager and city attorney at the same time.”

On Prothman’s website only the city attorney position is listed. Prothman has listed the city attorney job on Craigslist as well.

Apparently Prothman finds Craigslist a viable platform because the firm put up the city manager listing for Emeryville there as well.

However, those in the know have told Lake Tahoe News that using Craigslist is highly unusual, even a bit unprofessional.

Lake Tahoe News asked all five council members what they thought of using Craigslist for the city attorney position. No one had an opinion they chose to share.

As for why the city manager position isn’t at least on Prothman’s website, that too remains a mystery.

Lake Tahoe News asked the five where Prothman was listing both of South Lake Tahoe’s jobs. No answer.

It really is scary to think of the power and incompetence these electeds exhibit as a whole, and the majority do individually.

Three seats are up in November – Wendy David, Austin Sass and Tom Davis. Candidates may file papers with the El Dorado County Elections Department starting July 16 and will have until Aug. 10 to turn them in. If an incumbent doesn’t file, that date is extended to Aug. 15.

One can only hope some professionalism and leadership returns to the city in early June with the hire of Dirk Brazil as interim city manager. Well, that is assuming the council hires him at today’s meeting and that he is good as he looks on paper.