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City administrator needs degree
MTAS official gives opinion on city administrator qualifications
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If McMinnville officials want to hire a city administrator who does not have a college degree, they need to change the ordinance pertaining to the qualifications, according to MTAS.Stephanie K. Allen, the legal program manager for the Municipal Technical Advisory Service at the University of Tennessee, says the city’s ordinance is poorly written but she believes the intent is clear and a college degree is needed.“I agree the sentence in Section 1-701 is inartfully written,” Allen said. “However, I do believe the intent is clear that the minimum qualifications for the position of city administrator include a college degree. If the city would like to offer the position to an applicant who has not obtained a college degree, the city needs to amend Section 1-701 accordingly.”The “inartfully” written sentence states, “Minimum qualifications shall include a college degree, and training or experience in municipal management or business administration.”The sentence was at the heart of a controversy that split the board on whether to hire Bill Brock as city administrator.