Mo Jones returns to City work
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Two and a half years after bolting City employment for the semi-private sector (as the chief fund-raiser for UVA’s Miller Center), Maurice “Mo” Jones is returning as the assistant city manager. Jones, who used to serve as the City government spokesperson, returns to City Hall to fill the seat opened about seven months ago by the departure of Rochelle Small-Toney, who took a similar position in Savannah.
Jones, despite leading the Miller Center to its best year ever with over $9 million in new commitments, according to a release, is leaving the cushy confines of the Center, which attracts leading presidential scholars, to hit the streets for Charlottesville. Literally. He’ll be in charge of coordinating neighborhood communications and programs.
Well known in town since the 1990s during his days as a sports anchor for NBC29— back when Charlottesville had just one television station— Jones begins work at his new job on February 26.
“He’ll be in charge of coordinating neighborhood communications and programs.” That’s exactly what Jim Tolbert and Ric Barrick do now. Gary O’Connell is known to have a black assistant city manager to “work with the black neighborhoods,” so I guess that’s really his job, to communicate with the black neighborhoods as they transistion into predominantly white. I wonder if he’ll lose his job then.
I say good move on the City’s part. While I too question all of the folks needed for “communication”, Mo is a class act. Certainly much better than Small-Toney. Now THAT was a waste of a salary…
How many assistant city managers are there now?
Best of luck to Maurice Jones…….and to all those who insist on tearing it to pieces:
Put a Sock in it.
Yes, Mr. Jones is a class act; however, the position of Assistant City Manager as described is not needed for $100k. There’s the City Manager (who nobody knows what he does all day) and the position held by Aubrey Watts who is described as Chief Operating Officer/Chief Financial Officer. Tolbert is in charge of neighborhood services and Barrick is in charge of communications. Since everything seems to be covered, what is Mr. Jones to do all day, hang out with jeeperman and Brigette. Mrs. Small-Toney didn’t have anything to do all day either to justify a $100k salary either. When Mr. Taliaferro campaigned to clean out the City Manager’s office it must have been a personal vendetta against Small-Toney because he certainly seems to be going along with replacing her.
Cville Eye, the $100,000 salary is just the tip of the iceburg. Add the cost of benefits next. And then add the cost of a brand new city issued vehicle and all the gas they can burn 24 hours a day. Could easily be $175,000 salary when you add in all the perks. :)
SOTLR, currently there is only one A.C.M., I forgot to answer you question. This new hire is a good example of Mr. O’Connell’s lecture to Council Tuesday night on “Cost Savings and Efficiencies” which, unfortunately, a lot of residents listen to and believe. Even more unfortunately, Council members seem to believe it, too. I like letting them know that everybody can’t be fooled all of the time.
I thought at one time there were 2 or 3 assistant city manageers. Maybe they changed the titles of a few of them? Anyhow, O’Connell’s retirement check should be ripe for the picking by now, shouldn’t it? Maybe Mo will replace him.
For years, it was the CM and 2 ACMs, including Mrs. Peacock. While we had the 2 ACMs the CM hired a Deputy CM and transferred most of the employees that were supervised by the 2 ACMs to the DCM who is now called the COO/CFO. The DCM therefore took over the responsibilities of the 2 ACMs. Now, the hard-working Gary O’Connell needs an ACM. He also wanted a Customer Care Specialist, to the tune of $100k as are the ACMs, but Council said they did not want him to hire someone with that title. He had already interviewed 3 when that process was aborted. So now, the person is called an ACM. The net result is we had Cm and 2(ACM) and now we have CM, DCM and ACM. I’m sure Mr. O’Connell is building his resume off of local tax payers’ backs to that he can retire and do the Cole Hendricks, get that fat check on top of that of future employment. That god-awful Williams Symons has now come out of retirement and is replacing the superintendent of Alexandria City Schools. She was making around $200k.
In regards to the “Cost Savings and Efficiencies†discussion - isn’t there supposed to be a survey online where one can make suggestions and voice their opinions? I wasn’t so sure I was going to do it, but I will now.
I am thankful I don’t work for the City of Charlottesville - I can’t imagine there are many other workplaces with lower morale at this point in time.
It doesn’t matter if Mr. Jones is a “great guy” or not. This is the opposite of what government needs to be doing at this point in time.
What a waste of resources.
Lisa, the survey is at https://www.charlottesville.org/index.aspx?recordid=191&page=454
Thanks Cville Eye! I must not have taken the time to find the link. Will go fill it out now.
Bye- Lisa
[...] slices one assistant city manager position from his staff– although former city spokesman Maurice Jones will still come on as assistant city [...]