City Manager Rogers’ to Call Tracy Home

Tracy’s newest City Manager, Michael Rogers, has done something that neither of his predecessors did and that is to live in Tracy. Former City Managers Jenny Haruyama and Troy Brown did not call Tracy home. In fact, the current list of high-paid city executives who do not call Tracy home is longer than you would believe. We give then kudos to Rogers for choosing to live in Tracy, which is more than just symbolic.

It’s a simple bromide, but applicable to those who work in city government and make decisions impacting the lives of ordinary people living in the city. It is too easy for a city executive to decide going against the best interest of the residents when that official will not experience the impacts of that decision.

Haruyama, for instance, had no issue pushing forward the Tracy TOD proposal, despite the will of the voters, who overwhelmingly rejected the core tenants of the proposal. At the end of the day, she didn’t live, shop and recreate in Tracy, so what did she care if people were outraged. Based on her actions, she didn’t care and that’s the point.

People view things differently when the live in the community. They experience issues and community problems in common with their neighbors. They understand the day-to-day happenings in the community differently than someone isolated in City Hall from Monday thru Friday.

Here’s to hoping that the decision by Rogers to live and work in Tracy is precedent setting for the city’s future executives. As we’ve touched upon before, the salaries for city staff and management is above average. And, while that is a different issue altogether, the least these government workers can do is to live and shop in Tracy. They should want to become part of our community given the investment taxpayers are making in them. If a majority of all Tracy municipal employees lived in Tracy, then (in our opinion) there would be fewer controversies in City Hall. So we extend our appreciation to City Manager Rogers and his family for moving to Tracy and offer them a warm welcome to great little community.