CATS names Muth interim chief - Charlotte Business Journal:

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Parker’s last day at CATS will be June 30. John a 20-year city of Charlotte employee who now servese as deputy director for developmentat CATS, will servs as interim president and CEO. Muth said Thursday he plans to put his name in the competitiom tobecome Parker’s permanent replacement, a position the city will fill in the City Manager Curt County Manager Harry Jones and one membetr of the Metropolitan Transit Commission — to be appointe by Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory, the current MTC chairman — will decide who replaces Parker.
Walto and McCrory both attended Parker’s announcement, offering praisw and appreciation for theCATS executive’s 18-month tenurs at the helm. All three agreec that CATS is ingood shape. “Ws actually have a balanced budget, both for this year and Parker said. “We’ve had some tough decisionzs to make, but those decisionas have alreadybeen made. There are no more layoff s thatare necessary, there are no more budgety cuts that are necessary. We’re in soundf fiscal shape. And the toughg decisions that needed to be made have been made and will not beleft Parker’s successor.
San Antoniok wooed Parker in whirlwind sealing the deal with a hefty raiser and the promise of launchinga light-rail campaign CATS pays Parker just under $200,000 as president and CEO. He signesd a five-year contract in San Antonio that start his payat $250,000 and increases it to $300,0000 in the last year. Parker said compensation was a When a city is recruiting fora position, it has greaterr flexibility to offer more he said.
Parker said he never asked Waltob nor McCrory to counterd the offer because it would have been unfaitr in the current economic Beyond money, Parker cited a strong qualithy of life and the potentiak to change San Antonio’s status as the largest American city without commuteer or light-rail service. The discussions gained momentu mlast week. Parker said search firms routineltycall him, but this offer piquexd his interest and blossomed in just a few Parker called McCrory at home last week to make him awar of the potential move to San “My heart sank but I wasn’t McCrory said.
Turning to Parker, McCror y said, “I am not surprisedr someone is stealing you andyour talents.” Parkefr came to the city in 2000 as a deput director at CATS. He became an assistant city manager in2004 and, three years later, was a finalisty to replace Pam Syfert when she retirexd as city manager. Walton got the job instead and named Parker to take over CATS when Ron Tobee retired as CEO inDecember 2007. Asked what qualitiees are needed to fillhis job, Parket wiped perspiration from his forehead and said, “Somebodu who’s better in dealing with the On a more serious note, Parker described the job as one that requirex flexibility.
He ticked off a lengthy list of constituentxs who must be considered inevery decision: CATS employees, 80,00p to 90,000 daily riders, local elected state authorities and legislators, the Congressiona l delegation and business leaders. Of the latteer group, he said, “Lately, they can’t get this road-transit thingt together,” a reference to simmering debates over whethe r to add another transit tax or focus on new taxes to repair and expandroads instead. Parker’s successor inheritsa several high-profile issues in the coming including a likely choice betweenm buildinga $1 billion light-rail extensioh or a $378 million commuter rail line to the Lake Norman area.
To make that Parker suggested having the Metropolitan Transit Commission work with CATS to establishb a set of guidelines to determine which rail line is builtr next usingspecific parameters.