Greensboro City Attorney

The city's present staff attorney, Terry Wood, is an expert in municipal legal matters, experienced, and well spoken. Mr. Wood has been able to restore confidence and trust in the legal department, following years of behind the doors wheeling and dealing and treacherous tactics.

Terry Wood returned out of retirement to assume the City Attorney position, and for that we owe him a great debt of gratitude. However, Mr. Wood will need to or want to retire fully at some point in the forseeable future; he is doing a first rate job, but his heart could be elsewhere. It is time for the city to begin planning for a competent replacement who can handle the legal affairs of a complex, middle sized metropolitan city.

The City Manager should determine if Mr. Wood has a timetable in mind for his current turn as city attorney. Due to the length of time he has already served, and his otherwise retired status, it is prudent for the city to begin planning for an eventual successor, with some certain date in mind. Mr. Wood can serve a valuable role as adviser to this process when a job description is created, as well as establishing a planning process that will culminate when his replacement is found.

Mr. Wood could agree to serve as an outside consultant to the city legal department after a replacement begins, until the new individual is firmly planted in the new position. Deliberate planning now might avoid crisis planning at some date in the future.