Mike Letcher's boxes of coffee mugs have been stashed in the basement. Casual Fridays in the city manager's office have been kicked to the curb.
It's a new day on the 10th floor of City Hall, and Richard Miranda is setting a new tone.
The old cop is preaching honesty, professionalism and accountability. He talks softly and slowly but carries a big stick.
"The paramount issue for me is the community having trust and confidence in how we manage the city," he told me last week, as he glided from one media interview to the next. "The people at the front lines, I think they all are doing a great job. Yeah, we drop the ball every once in a while, but I think people are pointing at the 10th floor and saying, 'What's going on?'"
We know what has been going on: ParkWise, a sketchy 911 system, tiresome furloughs, select raises and a city manager's office that was unresponsive at best and duplicitous at worst.
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And that's why Miranda has moved into the city's hottest seat. For now, it's his mess to clean up, and his council to corral.
"My concern is, just be honest, man. Just tell the truth, and we'll be OK. We're going to have problems, and there is going to be stuff that comes up," he said. "There is just no way around it. But if we put it out there, if we articulate what happened and what we are going to do, I think people will understand."
This is something Letcher never seemed to grasp, telling voters massive layoffs would happen if they didn't approve a sales tax (even though that wasn't the case), or responding to news stories with half-truths or hypotheticals.
When ParkWise was unraveling, Letcher lamely and gamely said the city would bring on University of Arizona accounting students to provide greater oversight. Had he talked to the UA about this? Well, no.
That was so Letcher. Not only did his actions erode the public's trust, but it showed a lack of respect for the job.
And now Miranda is pushing the other way - all things not Letcher - preaching honesty and respect.
"I totally understand that this is a temporary position," he said. "I'm not exaggerating the fact that I have been here for close to 40 years, and when I was a young kid they used to send me up to the city manager's office and I would see guys like Joel (Valdez) and Luis (Gutierrez) ... work up here. And just to have that opportunity for a few months, to say, 'Man, I get to do the same job as Joel Valdez.' It's putting a smile on my face."
Just a few months? Too much modesty.
Does Miranda want this to become a permanent job?
Hard to say. In our interview he never went all in; he said he understands the council wants to do a national search and he would have to talk to his family about the stress of the job.
"If you are looking at someone who can come in at four to five years and put things on the right plane, deal with some of the economic issues, people feeling good about the community, people feeling good about the organization, that's important to me," he said.
"What's also important to me is that I walk out with my head held high. It's important to know when the right time is to walk away. There is a lot to think about."
So what's in his plans?
Expect some kind of action on Chris Leighton, the beleaguered director of ParkWise. Miranda said he was "totally separated" from what was happening in that department, but he's planning a review and looking at opportunities "to provide further discipline."
Expect some housecleaning at City Hall.
And expect those furloughs - the city has sometimes paid staffers overtime to cover for workers on furlough - to be revisited.
"They were supposed to be temporary, and they have been here for three years now," he said. "It's on the front burner."
One thing Miranda has made clear in these first few days as interim city manager is, he loves Tucson and loves the city. He spent nearly 34 years in the Police Department, serving as chief for 10 years. He believes in the value of public service and has a standard of excellence.
The one thing the city should be about, he said, is "quality services to the community." And he's willing to hold people accountable to make that happen.
Miranda is saying all the right things - which is more than Letcher ever did. But the true test is whether he's able to do them.
Contact columnist Josh Brodesky at 573-4242 or jbrodesky@azstarnet.com
