To avoid being fired, Cincinnati City Manager John Shirey resigned Wednesday, ending eight years as the city's chief executive.

        A last-minute deal between Mr. Shirey and Mayor Charlie Luken averted the prospect of an immediate dismissal and gave the city manager until Dec. 1 to clean out his desk.

        “I made the overture to resign. But I ended up with what I wanted,” Mr. Shirey said after council approved the resignation 5-4. “I'm not sure it was any one thing. Obviously, the divisiveness on city council troubles me. I don't want to be an issue.”

JOHN SHIREY

Shirey    • Occupation: Cincinnati city manager since 1993. As chief executive, oversees daily operation of the city and its 7,000 employees; longest tenure of any Cincinnati city manager since C.A. Harrell ended a nine-year term in 1963.    • Salary: $149,600.    • Born: July 10, 1949.    • Home: Hyde Park.    • Family: Married 21 years to Marilyn Shirey; children, Jill, 19; Greg, 15; Elizabeth, 12.    • Education: Bachelor's degree in industrial engineering, Purdue University, 1971; master's in public administration, University of Southern California, 1973.    • Professional: City of Long Beach, Calif., assistant city manager, 1987-1993; Los Angeles County, assistant chief administrative officer, 1986-87, and deputy chief administrative officer, 1985-86; Community Development Commission, Los Angeles County, assistant executive director, 1982-85, and acting executive director, 1985; National League of Cities, legislative counsel, 1979-1982; City of Long Beach, intergovernmental relations director, 1976-79, and legislative analyst, 1975-76.    • Interests: Elder at Walnut Hills Christian Church; auto racing fan; certified track and field official; active in children's school and sports.

        The terms of the resignation give Mr. Shirey, 51, the same benefits he would get if he were fired, including a $70,000 severance payment.

        “I want to make it clear that he suggested this to me,” Mr. Luken said. “He recommended this as a way to move forward. It provides stability in the manager's office at a critical time.”

        Mr. Shirey's departure on Dec. 1 will come on the same day that a new council and directly elected mayor with greater executive powers are sworn in.

        The new mayor will propose a city manager candidate to council, which must vote on the mayor's choice. Mr. Luken is the only candidate for mayor so far.

        Mr. Shirey, who earns $149,600 a year and oversees 7,000 employees and a nearly $1 billion budget, has been a central figure in some of the region's biggest developments and most controversial projects since he was hired in October 1993.

        Those include the redesign of Fort Washington Way, the plan to transform Cincinnati's riverfront, the transfer of Cinergy Field from the city to the county, and relocating longtime downtown businesses for a department store that hasn't materialized.

        But since the rioting three weeks ago that followed the fatal shooting of Timothy Thomas, a 19-year-old unarmed black man, by a Cincinnati police officer, pressure has been mounting on council to make changes in the administration. The focus has been on getting rid of Mr. Shirey, who has been a lightning rod for council criticism throughout his tenure and has survived several firing attempts in the past.

        Police Chief Tom Streicher credited Mr. Shirey with orchestrating much of the city's response during the riots.

        “He had a lot of insight into what was coming, about crowd patterns. He assessed things quickly and kept the city under control. He told us every day to step forward and show leadership.”

        Mr. Luken and fellow Democrats Alicia Reece and John Cranley said the resignation was an alternative to a political blood-letting over a motion by Councilman Jim Tarbell to fire the city manager on the spot.

        Mr. Tarbell, the lone Charterite on council, said Mr. Shirey did not act quickly enough to quell the violence that followed the Thomas shooting and has done a poor job communicating with council and the public.

Councilman Mike DeWine lashes out at Councilman Jim Tarbell, who criticized him for not supporting a move to fire the city manager. (Michael E. Keating photo) | ZOOM |

        He was furious that Republican Councilman Pat DeWine abruptly changed his mind from firing Mr. Shirey to accepting the resignation.

        “I did what was in the best interests of the city,” said Mr. DeWine. “It's very conceivable that this could have dragged on well past Dec. 1. Now we have clearly established that there will be a new city manager.”

        Mr. Tarbell got the support of Republicans Phil Heimlich and Chris Monzel, and Democrat Minette Cooper. Each had different reasons for wanting to fire Mr. Shirey.

        “The concept of firing John Shirey is a diversion,” Mrs. Cooper said. “What we need to do is take care of our problems. I'm in a difficult position, but I believe we have to take action now.

        What Mr. Luken proposed was actually an ordinance that granted him the power to execute an agreement with Mr. Shirey to deliver an “involuntary resignation” effective Dec. 1.

        In addition to getting the $70,000, the ordinance passed by council requires Mr. Shirey to waive his right under city law of a public hearing when a majority of council wants him fired.

        The agreement also requires the mayor to give Mr. Shirey “favorable references” to prospective employers and pledges that the city manager and the council won't make “comments of an unprofessional nature” about each other.

        “I didn't know coming in here today what would happen,” Mr. Shirey said. “All I knew was that it was a viable, changing situation.”

        Mr. Luken said he put together the compromise because “we just aren't in a position to go out and find a new city manager right now. It's not the time. And I can't imagine who would take the job.”

        Rick Greiwe, president of Downtown Cincinnati Inc., said that Mr. Shirey has been a friend to downtown.

        “We enjoyed a close working relationship,” he said. “I hope they find someone who is as flexible and resilient as he is.”

        He said community-police relations is the one area where Mr. Shirey should focus his efforts during his last six months on the job.

        Mr. Shirey agreed that will be his priority, along with reforming the city's personnel system. He said the city's civil service system needs to be changed so that the hiring and firing of police and fire chiefs is done by the city manager and not based on test scores.

        Before acting on the mayor's proposed ordinance, council heard from individuals speaking for and against the firing of Mr. Shirey.

        Business owner Mike Wagner, a founder of Cincinnati Neighborhood Business Districts United, told council Mr. Shirey's tenure has been good for “the investment in our neighborhoods.”

        “Council should give him an opportunity to deal with the issues that still face this city,” Mr. Wagner said.

        The Rev. James W. Jones, chairman of the Coalition for Justice and Equality, a group of black clergymen, told council before the vote it should fire Mr. Shirey immediately.

        After the compromise was approved, Mr. Jones said he was satisfied with the result.

        “At least now we know he will be gone,” Mr. Jones said.

        Mr. Jones said council should focus on police-community issues, such as strengthening the Office of Municipal Investigation and giving the Citizens Police Review Panel subpoena powers when investigating alleged police abuses.

        “There are more important things than who the city manager is,” Mr. Jones said.

        Lincoln Ware, host of a radio talk show on black radio station WDBZ, said his callers in the weeks since the rioting have been overwhelmingly in favor of Mr. Shirey's firing.

        “Only a small percentage of the people listening actually call in, but you have to believe they represent a general feeling in the community,” Mr. Ware said.

        Pete Witte, president of the Price Hill Civic Association, said that while he would not mind seeing Mr. Shirey go, he did not believe there was a great public demand for his resignation.

        “The hubbub over this isn't real,” Mr. Witte said. “You don't hear people talking about it on the streets.”

        Mr. Shirey, who twice considered city manager jobs elsewhere, said he is open to public or private employment.

        He said he already has his eye on one possibility.

        “I'm really interested in being the head basketball coach at Xavier,” he joked.

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