Grading the manager

Cincinnati Council member Jeff Berding, chair of the Rules and Government Operations Committee, introduced an idea Tuesday to create a four-person panel to review new City Manager Milton Dohoney's job performance.

The motion will be discussed fully by the committee at its next meeting, in two weeks. Only the mayor can hire or fire the city manager, but council members control his raises.

The panel would be made up of one member from each political party and one person appointed by the mayor.

Dohoney's hiring was the subject of much controversy. Several council members said the way Mayor Mark Mallory went about offering the job to Dohoney violated the city charter because he did not offer two candidates for council members to interview. Other council members questioned Dohoney's qualifications for the job.