Who Really Runs the City

It's time to tell the truth. For years the secret has been hidden. Many city administrations have kept this truth from the public. They say confession is good for the soul. Taxpayers deserve to know who really runs the city.

Nancy Waffler runs the city. Nancy is the secretary to the Mayor and Safety Service Director. She has held this position through several different administrations, starting with Mayor Francis Carr. That's when the mayor's office was in the old City Hall building at 470 E. Market. The old mayor's office now houses the Juvenile Detention office. After the upcoming renovation to the old City Hall building, that office will become the new Law Library. The current Mayor's office is at 504 E. Main St. on the second floor.

If you ever call the Mayor's office asking to speak with the Mayor or Safety Service Director, you will get Nancy first. Part of her job is to take the calls initially and see if perhaps a solution can be found without involving the Mayor or Safety Service Director immediately. Lots of times a city department head can solve a problem more quickly than anyone in the Administration. Nancy directs the caller to a solution as best she can.

Nancy gets yelled at a lot. Not by her bosses or co-workers but by unhappy citizens. Through it all she maintains a cool and calm professional manner at all times. Her voice and demeanor are soothing and comforting to the most irate citizen. She never loses her temper and never shouts back at a confrontational caller. That takes skill and poise on her part. She keeps a daily log of all phone calls she takes and how the call was handled. But Nancy's duties don't stop with taking calls.

Nancy is responsible for most of the correspondence coming in and going out of the administrative offices. She also issues various permits that city ordinances require of the mayor's office. She keeps track of the schedules of the Mayor and Safety Service Director. She handles all the legal notices that have to be put in the newspaper. She does the minutes for the Board of Control meetings. She does the minutes for the Records Commission. She takes care of getting the proper people to sign documents. Sometimes she has to chase them down to get the signatures. All the while, she remains patient and pleasant. Maybe inside she wants to strangle the person she's been chasing down, but you would never know it.

But the best thing about Nancy may be that she knows where everything is. Can't find it? Just ask Nancy. Her filing system is organized, neat, tidy and accessible. She can remember the details of almost any given situation. She pays the bills, works with the budget and day-to-day operations of the administration. That includes helping keep track of special projects like the building of the Water Treatment Plant and the more recent construction of Freedom Center, the new police facility. In her spare time, Nancy assists the department heads, city employees and City Council members with grievances, problems and requests for general information. She never complains, comes to work early, leaves late and takes work home.

So now you know the rest of the story. Nancy Waffler runs the city and does a fine job of it. She can be reached at 330-821-3110. Make sure to pay attention to the smile in her voice when you call her.