MICHELLE WILLARD, Post Staff Writer
Posted: Sunday, August 2, 2009 8:15 am

Rob Lyons (R) congratulates Roger Haley (L) on his reitrement. Lyons takes over Monday as Murfreesboro's City Manager. TMP/Michelle Willard

A new era starts in Murfreesboro on Monday when Rob Lyons steps into his new role as city manager.

Lyons will take over the job, which was held by Roger Haley for the past 20 years. Murfreesboro city manager has been an institution in Murfreesboro for almost a century and has benefited the city in many ways.

Murfreesboro has benefited mostly because it streamlines the decision-making process, Vice Mayor Chris Bratcher said.

“I think it takes the politics out of the decision-making process in the city manager form,” Bratcher said. “And decisions are made in the best interest of the city as a whole.”

The city manager may have been a boon for Murfreesboro, but has its roots in turn-of-the-century Virginia.

In 1908, Staunton, Va. adopted the first city manager form of government. In the next 100 years, almost half of the cities and more than 370 counties in the U.S. would adopt this form of government, where decision-making power rests in the hands of an elected council and council-made decisions are implemented and daily city operations are controlled by a permanent city manger.

Murfreesboro would adopt this administrative form of government, but it would take a few years.

From Murfreesboro’s founding in 1818 to 1916, the city was governed by a mayor and board of aldermen, which is most similar to the federal government. In this form, an elected mayor oversees the daily operations of the city and sees the council’s decisions implemented.

But in 1916, the city changed to a three-member commission, like that of Rutherford County. The commission form is the oldest form of government in the nation and has its roots in England as a form of democratic representation.

The commission didn’t last long in Murfreesboro, and in 1921 the council-manager form was adopted and remains mostly the same today.

The 1921 city charter allowed the election of a five-seat, at-large city council and part-time mayor. The daily operation of the city was then placed in the hands of the city manager.

“The most important change in city government has been the adoption of the manager form of government,” Carlton Sims wrote in his book, “A History of Rutherford County.”

It was an important change because it allows for stability through mayoral administrations, takes politics out of daily operations and gives the ability for long-range planning.

“The stable aspects of the city manager form has been very positive for Murfreesboro. …” Mayor Tommy Bragg said. “The city manager allows for less political maneuvering and promotes good management practices.”

The city manager form has been stable in part because only six men have held the job in the past 88 years.

Edd Lowe was named the first Murfreesboro city manager in 1921. He was succeeded by Sam S. Cox in 1928, Hubert L. McCullough in 1947, Clyde Fite in 1963, Roger Haley in 1989 and, now, Rob Lyons in 2009.

The continuity through the years has allowed a progressive government to develop, Councilman David Edwards said.

“It’s given us vision. It’s given us the ability to do creative long-range planning. It’s given us continuity in leadership. It’s been a key factor in our financial stability,” Edwards said.

Even though the past city managers have been political appointments – like Haley they all had ties to the city council – because they didn’t have to answer to the voters, the managers could take a longer view of city development, Bragg said.

“We’re moving from city managers that have been political appointees to an apolitical appointee hired on merit,” Edwards said, adding the city will benefit more because of Lyons’ experience in government management and lack of a political past.

“The exceptional stability, forward-thinking business approach to government will benefit from an apolitical appointment,” Edwards said.

Michelle Willard can be contacted at 615-869-0816 or mwillard@murfreesboropost.com.