The person hired for this top leadership position has the ability to change the city’s course toward a government people can trust.

Regaining public trust will not be easy.

Trying to pin down what has been plaguing Davenport city government takes all of your fingers and maybe a few toes. It’s been a rocky 14 months since the building at 324 Main St. collapsed, killing three and causing amputation of one resident’s leg.

The simple question of why the residents were still living in the oft-publicized apartment building, despite structural warnings, has not been answered. And while the answer may not be as simple as the question — because it involves the building’s owner, structural engineer and workers who didn’t set up the building properly — it’s the city that has the duty to the public.

The city also had an obligation to make business public, but it failed to do so because nearly $2 million in payouts were approved to the former city administrator, Corri Spiegel, and two other employees over harassment claims. The agreements were approved without a public vote. Thomas Warner, city attorney at the time, signed those agreements and said all that was needed was the consent of the council. Warner was wrong.

The city publicly ratified the settlements in December, on the advice of outside counsel, months after they had been approved — Oct. 6 for Spiegel and Sept. 7 for the other two staff members.

In addition to the city making public business private, there are questions about why these alleged harassments were not dealt with immediately. When were the complaints made and why were they not addressed, except with public money.

The timing of the release of the agreements was also suspect. Spiegel’s deal was signed a month before the November 7 election, which included several city races, including a contested race for mayor, but was not made public until November 22. The public has asked, and we have asked: Who decided to delay the information until after the election?

And then the city sued private citizen Ezra Sidran, who had requested Spiegel’s settlement demand letter. The city, guided by outside legal counsel from Lane & Waterman, said it wanted a judge to decide whether the letter was public record. A city suing one of its residents for asking questions is not good.

The city lost credibility and public trust. The lack of information surrounding these events opened the door to speculation and conspiracy theories. The spotlight shone on the city again and again, but no one stepped forward with an explanation. And everything positive that happened in the city was overshadowed by distrust.

The good news is that Interim City Administrator Mallory Merritt has taken steps to repair the damage and change the way the city responds and communicates. To this end, the city employs a communications manager to interact with the media and the public to answer everyday questions. It is a necessary and welcome addition.

Merritt met with the Quad-City Times editorial board earlier in the year to ask how to improve public relations. It was a serious gesture and should not go unnoticed. Merritt made it clear from the beginning of her interim appointment that she was not interested in the position of city administrator. However, she wanted to improve the city’s interactions with the public and staff morale.

Merritt has accepted another position and will leave his interim position on August 16. We appreciate the progress Merritt has made and hope a new city administrator can continue to rebuild public trust and move the city toward becoming a regional leader in the Quad-Cities.

Search firm Colin Baenziger & Associates is collecting applications and will present all qualified applicants to a city search committee. A public reception for the finalists is planned for September 9 and 10.

The city needs a reset, and a new administrator is a chance for a new direction. The past cannot be erased, but it can be acknowledged and learned from. Yesterday must inform tomorrow.

We must have a city administrator who appears transparent and understands their role in communicating with the city council and the public. With the events of the past 14 months, it sometimes felt like the council was disconnected from the city administrator and city attorney. A defensive posture set the tone for their interactions.

However, change is underway. There is already a new city attorney, Samuel Huff IV, and we have already seen signs of a more engaged council. The new administrator must understand the important role of policy makers in driving policy initiatives and respect their political realities.

A bigger hope for the new administrator is that they can move Davenport toward becoming a leader who pulls the Quad-Cities together to think and act regionally. As the largest city, we hope the City of Davenport can leverage the power of the Quad-Cities to move the region forward economically.

We don’t want to get too attached to this hire, but let’s not miss out on the opportunity that lies ahead.

We are calling on the public, community leaders and councils to get involved. Make your wishes known. Let’s get together and get this right.