This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Former Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson lambasted new Mayor Jackie Biskupski in a letter to the City Council, pleading they not approve her nominations of department heads if they are not qualified.
Specifically, Anderson criticized the mayor's choice of Mike Reberg to head up the Department of Public Utilities that oversees the city's water system and watershed, because, Anderson said, Reberg lacks training and expertise.
Jeff Niermeyer, who had directed the department for nine years and had worked in it for about 25 years, left in December.
Reberg has held several positions in Salt Lake County government, including deputy director of public works. Presently, he is director of the county's Department of Animal Services. He also held a position with former Congressman Jim Matheson and also has worked for the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance.
In his letter, Anderson also noted the recent departure of Rick Graham, who was not asked to stay as director of Public Services after 35 years, and redevelopment agency director D.J. Baxter, shown the door after more than eight years.
"You are facing an extraordinary situation with a new mayor who cannot even know her own job yet," Anderson wrote, "as she purges city government of world-class people who have served our city well for decades — people who have irreplaceable historic knowledge, tremendous ability, proven devotion and an incredible work ethic."
The seven-member City Council has the power to advise and consent, meaning it must approve by a simple majority any proposed department head appointments.
Anderson urged the council to exercise its discretion and not "rubber stamp" the mayor's selections.
"[P]lease consider issuing a statement, pledging to the Biskupski administration and the people of Salt Lake City, that you will only provide your consent to the appointment of new department directors who are equally — or more —- educated, experienced and capable than those they will be replacing," he said. "The announcement of that standard will provide great comfort to the many Salt Lake City residents who are greatly concerned about the inexplicable (and unexplained) terminations of amazing people like D.J. Baxter, Rick Graham, and Jeff Niermeyer — and the possibility that the past focus on merit is being replaced with a system of political patronage."
At least three members of the council have voiced reservations about the public utilities nomination and have said they want to review Reberg's qualification carefully before voting on his appointment. Among them is Lisa Adams.
"We won't settle for a downgrade," she said Saturday. "We need to make sure we have equal education, experience and ability for these [department head] positions."
A spokesman for Biskupski said the mayor respects Anderson's passion for the city, as well as the council and its authority of advise and consent.
"She would never hire anyone who would steer the city in the wrong direction," said Matthew Rojas.
He added that department directors and employees must share knowledge and experience. "As [Biskupski] said in her State of the City address, no one person will hold all the keys to one department," Rojas said.
The council has scheduled a hearing on Reberg's nomination for Tuesday. But the mayor's office has yet to send a formal recommendation to the council, which could result in a rescheduling of the hearing.