Lott resigns…sort of

Now that Al Lott has tendered his resignation, for a whole year from now (at least we can’t say he didn’t give sufficient notice), there’s understandably some question as to what will happen now.  That’s more than a fair question, so I’m going to throw my own speculation into the mix.  This is based on some conversations with others who follow the local government.

First, Lott isn’t sticking around.  That’s the good news.  While the end date is set for July 30, 2011, don’t be surprised to see him not working much, much sooner than that.

You see, the City Commission reportedly asked for Lott’s resignation Tuesday.  I seriously doubt they intend to let him sit there for a year and just be content he’s going away.  No, I suspect they’ll start looking at how to show him the door very soon.  One of two things will probably happen to do it though.

The first option is a Younger-like pay out that will put him out the door.  While this will cost the taxpayers money, I can’t really oppose it to much.  The reason being that paying that out will serve as a hedge against Lott’s screwing up in the future and may ultimately save a lot more money in the long run.  Not only that, but by accepting the pay out, Lott is then effectively barred from trying to file any kind of lawsuit or complaint against the city that would possible cost more money to defend.

The second option is that Lott go on some kind of leave until his resignation is effective.  Essentially, he’ll get paid for nothing for a year, which is essentially the same thing as paying him off.   The problem with this one is that I believe we can’t hire a new City Manager until July of next year, making it more difficult to move on after this episode.  Not only that, but he could still file complaints against the City of Albany that could tie the city up in litigation for some time and cost a lot of money.  While there’s plenty to complain about in Albany, there’s not really anything Lott can win with.

So now we sit, waiting on what the City will do with regard to Lott.  I suspect this will be on the agenda for the next meeting, and will be discussed at length.  We’ll see what, if anything, is decided.