THE new Dublin city manager is to be Mr John Fitzgerald, a 49 year old career local government official and management accountant who is currently county manager in South Dublin. He had been regarded as favourite to take the city post.
Mr Fitzgerald was recommended yesterday after final interviews with four short listed candidates. The fourth, whose identity was only confirmed yesterday, was the Laois county manager, Mr Niall Bradley.
The other finalists competing for the £70,000 a year post were Mr John Cullen, assistant secretary of the Department of the Environment, and Mr Derek Brady, Dublin Corporation's assistant city manager in charge of planning and development.
The Local Appointments Commission confirmed that Mr Fitzgerald had been recommended for appointment by the City Council to succeed Mr Frank Feely when he retires on May 13th after 17 years in office.
Mr Fitzgerald will serve a maximum of seven years in office under the new rules. It is now thought likely that Mr Brady (43) will be a candidate to succeed him in South Dublin.
The contest to succeed Mr Feely generated over 40 applications, of which 11 were interviewed. These included Ms Laura Magahy, managing director of Temple Bar Properties.
The result was being seen yesterday as a "safe" appointment, given the successful candidate's long familiarity with local government. Had Mr Cullen got the job, the corporation would almost certainly have faced a radical reorganisation.
Mr Fitzgerald was appointed South Dublin county manager in 1991. Before that he served as assistant city manager from 1989 to 1991; as city treasurer from 1987 to 1989; and city finance officer from 1980 to 1987. A married man with four daughters, he lives in Blackrock with his wife Marie and family.
He currently heads a staff of 1,500 in the South Dublin Civic Offices in Tallaght, with a budget of £60 million, less than a fifth of the corporation's annual. He is credited with pursuing innovative policies and recently published an area strategy which placed the emphasis on providing open, effective and participative local government".
Mr Fitzgerald runs a management team which includes, the county architect, county engineer and county planning officer as well as senior administrative officers. The corporation's management team, by contrast, consists exclusively of officials.
His curriculum vitae lists his hobbies as tennis and walking. Asked if he would be missed in South Dublin, his secretary said yesterday: "We will be sad to lose him. But fair play, it's a great achievement."
