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Joe DiBartolomeo was Weirton's city manager for only about six months, but he leaves a lasting, extremely positive impression on other municipal officials.
DiBartolomeo has left the city manager's position to take advantage of another job opportunity, and Diana Smoljanovich, the city's finance director, will serve as interim city manager while the seach for his successor is under way.
What is interesting about tributes paid to DiBartolomeo is that most focused on transparency, on keeping the mayor and city council members "in the loop."
"He lays it all out in the open," said Mayor Harold Miller.
"We've been told everything," added Ward 4 Councilman George Ash, adding, "In my opinion (DiBartolomeo) showed this council how it's supposed to work."
Ward 6 Councilman Enzo Fracasso agreed, noting he often receives as many as a dozen e-mail messages from DiBartolomeo, early in the morning.
None of that should come as a surprise to any resident of the city. A lifelong resident of Weirton, DiBartolomeo has made service his hallmark. He is a holder of degrees in accounting and law and has worked as a tax accountant for the state and as Weirton's city attorney. He's a veteran of the Marine Corps and the Army, having defended America around the world.
Residents have recognized those achievements by placing him in the Weirton Hall of Fame in 2010.
All that says something about DiBartolomeo -- and it is a lesson to others in government. Full, active transparency is an excellent policy.
Too bad the type of it practiced by DiBartolomeo seems to be unusual enough to be singled out for praise.