City Manager

In an unexpected move, the mayor of Annapolis announced the resignation of city administrator Sanford W. Daily yesterday, ending a two-year controversy over Daily's role in city government. Daily, 61, had served as administrator since February 1999 after a 27-year career as city manager in Gaithersburg, where he resides. His resignation is effective immediately. Starting Tuesday, city Public Works Director David L. Smith also will serve as acting administrator, becoming the chief operating officer for Annapolis and assuming day-to-day supervisory authority of all city departments.

Working in municipal government might run in the family for Taneytown's new city manager. Patrick Nield's father was a school board president. His grandfather served as mayor of Ridgeley, W.Va., for 36 years. And his second cousin was a city clerk and sheriff for more than a decade. The new city manager was sheriff of Mineral County, W.Va., for eight years. His duties there ranged from local law enforcement to collecting taxes. Taking the city manager job made sense to Nield, 33, a former Army infantryman and father of four small children.

To win the job of Columbia Association president, one of the three finalists will have to win over a majority of the Columbia Council. But he can't count on its backing for long. Seven of the council's 10 members are up for re-election in April. At least two of them - Cecilia Januszkiewicz of Long Reach and Adam Rich of River Hill - have decided not to run. The new council takes office in May. "It is a problem since this person will be hired by a group of people, seven of whom can change in four months," Januszkiewicz said.

To win the job of Columbia Association president, one of the three finalists will have to win over a majority of the Columbia Council. But he can't count on its backing for long. Seven of the council's 10 members are up for re-election in April. At least two of them - Cecilia Januszkiewicz of Long Reach and Adam Rich of River Hill - have decided not to run. The new council takes office in May. "It is a problem, since this person will be hired by a group of people, seven of whom can change in four months," Januszkiewicz said.

Baltimore man, 21, charged in killing of Columbia girl, 14 A 21-year-old Baltimore man who reportedly knew Ashley Nicole Mason was charged Dec. 16 with the 14-year-old's killing - a November stabbing that sparked horror and intense speculation in her hometown of Columbia. Frederick James Moore of the 6600 block of Eberle Drive in the city's northwest corner was charged with first-degree murder. Police said he was an acquaintance of the Long Reach High School freshman and had spent time in her neighborhood.

The three men in the running to head the Columbia Association hail from three cities that boast but one public pool among them. Columbia has 27. There are other, perhaps more important, differences between Columbia and the places where the finalists work as city manager or administrator. The finalists work in communities that range in population from 10,000 to about 51,000. Columbia has about 87,000 residents. But in written statements the candidates submitted to the Columbia Council, all three said they have the experience and skills required to oversee one of the nation's largest homeowners associations.

The city manager of an Arizona resort town is competing with his counterparts in a Michigan college town and a New Jersey suburb to head the Columbia Association, one of the country's largest homeowners associations. The Columbia Association announced yesterday the names of three finalists for the job of Columbia Association president, although one candidate's name had surfaced in the news media last week. The candidates are: Gregory C. Fehrenbach, administrator for the township of Piscataway, N.J.; Michael D. Letcher, city manager of Sedona, Ariz.

The city manager of an Arizona resort town, who was a finalist the last time the Columbia Association was looking for a president, is in the running for the job again, sources said yesterday. Michael Letcher, city manager of Sedona, Ariz., is one of three finalists to head the Columbia homeowners association for the community of 87,000. Letcher sought the job two years ago but lost out to Deborah O. McCarty, who resigned under pressure in May after 20 months. Names of the two other finalists have not been made public.

Taneytown officials don't expect to hire a new town manager to replace Charles P. "Chip" Boyles until next year. Although the city has received resumes from more than a dozen applicants, it doesn't expect to begin screening applicants until mid- to late December, and then hire next year, said Mayor Henry C. Heine Jr. "We probably won't have anybody until February," Heine said. Boyles, Taneytown's city manager for the past five years, resigned last month. The 37-year-old left Taneytown to return to his home state of South Carolina, where his mother and two sisters reside.

In a move some see as pointing Annapolis toward a city manager form of government, the city council is expected to consider legislation today that would allow the mayor to work another job. The proposed amendment to the city charter and accompanying ordinance would change the requirements of the job from "full time" to "sufficient time to effectively execute the duties required of the office." The legislation, to be introduced by Ward 1 Alderman Louise Hammond, would also specify that the mayor could hold employment outside of the elected position as long as the employment is disclosed, does not interfere with execution of mayoral duties and does not create a conflict of interest.