Iraq war lures city manager from job

Port Richey's manager resigns to aid Iraqi governments instead.

By JODIE TILLMAN, Times staff writer
Published August 11, 2007

ADVERTISEMENT Jerry Calhoun

PORT RICHEY - By the time he realized he wanted to join the military, City Manager Jerry Calhoun was a middle-aged public administrator better at determining sewage capacity than firing a weapon.

"I felt like I didn't do my part," Calhoun said Friday. "If I were of age to enlist, I probably would've done that."

But Calhoun, 53, announced this week that he is resigning as city manager after nearly three years because he's finally found a way to serve his country: He's headed to Iraq as an adviser to local government leaders.

Hold your jokes about trading the famously discordant politics of Port Richey for the discordant politics of Iraq. Calhoun says his decision is rooted only in a deep, personal yearning to work on behalf of the nation.

"It's not about (controversies in) Port Richey," he said. "It's a fulfillment of something deep inside me.

"Whether I end up making a difference, I don't know," he continued. "But I'll know in my heart that I've done everything I could."

Calhoun will be in Iraq on a one-year contract, working on a team of advisers in the Babil province. He was hired by North Carolina-based RTI International, a private research company that has a $290-million federal contract to help Iraqis improve how their local governments are run.

His base salary in Iraq will be $97,000, compared to the roughly $90,000 he now receives for his duties as Port Richey's city manager and director of finance and utilities. He said he'll also get hazard pay but isn't sure how much.

Calhoun got the job through the International City/County Management Association, which is a subcontractor for RTI.

His duties? In some ways, they don't sound too different from what he does now. He'll be helping local leaders craft budgets, determine how big their sewer plants should be and understand government transparency.

"They're basically starting from scratch," Calhoun said of the Iraqis.

A years-long dream

Calhoun said he had been trying since 2004 to get a job with the State Department but was not successful. Back in April, he let the International City/County Management Association know he would volunteer for an advisory position in Lebanon.

He never heard back on that position, but in July he got a call from the association. They wanted to know if he was interested in working in Iraq. He said yes. Last week he learned he had the job. On Wednesday, he submitted his resignation effective Oct. 8, though he acknowledged he may have to ship out next month.

Mayor Richard Rober said Friday he had known that Calhoun's resignation was a possibility.

"I'm disappointed because I think Mr. Calhoun has been very good for the city," he said. "I think he's brought more respect to us as a city."

Calhoun was hired in 2004 to replace Vince Lupo, who was fired after nearly eight years on the job.

This isn't the first time Calhoun has offered his resignation. Last year, he announced his plans to quit after a contentious April election. Less than a month later, he changed his mind, saying he had been heartened by meetings with the new council members.

City work left to do

Before he leaves, Calhoun promised he'll help finalize the budget. Just last month, he got thrown a curve ball when the City Council abruptly lowered the tax rate on the one night he was out sick, forcing Calhoun to come up with $80,000 in savings. The council also wants Calhoun to come up with three proposals for further cuts.

Calhoun said that incident did not factor into his decision. In fact, he had little bad to say about his Port Richey tenure.

"I think they've been pretty good to me," he said. "I tried to stay out of the middle of politics."

Calhoun has not been outside the Western Hemisphere before, though he has traveled to Brazil and Colombia, where his wife, Ligia, is from. Calhoun has a 21-year-old son from a previous marriage, and he and Ligia raise her two daughters from a previous marriage, a 19-year-old and a 15-year-old.

Ligia will stay behind at their Spring Hill home while Calhoun is in Iraq. She's nervous for his safety, Calhoun said, but "I tell her that every day I drive up the second deadliest highway in the nation, U.S. 19. Living has its risks."

[Last modified August 10, 2007, 22:01:53]