Mayor Tom Donaldson and Butler City Council acted prudently Tuesday when deciding to take a more thorough look at the proposed salary for the new post of parking manager.

For that matter, they should be looking at more than the pay rate.

In September, the city finalized a $6.8 million bond through PNC Bank to pay for a 230-space garage under construction near the intersection of Cunningham and McKean streets.

Dissolving the authority and appointing a parking manager was a requirement for the city to qualify for a favorable bond rating to borrow the money.

The transfer from authority to manager is a given, but the details are not.

The board is not taking the news lightly. Meeting Wednesday night, board members voted 2-2, blocking the dissolution. Mayor Donaldson dismissed the two board members who opposed.

The city already has assumed the authority’s debts, leaving the board without a reason for being — and Butler in need of a parking manager.

The new position should have a written job description with objectives related not only to the efficient maintenance and operation of parking facilities, but also the financial stability of the system.

There are questions related to the chain of command: will the parking manager answer to the mayor? Donaldson has indicated the parking manager will report to him.

Will the position be dependent on the public works or streets departments, or will it have the authority to order maintenance projects from city crews? Will day-to-day maintenance even be part of the manager’s duties, or will the streets department take on this function?

Who will oversee long-term financing for future parking construction projects? Who will look after the investment of any surplus parking revenue being held in anticipation of future projects?

The parking manager is a part-time position, for which Donaldson proposed a $35,000 salary — and included that figure in a wage ordinance that council voted on Thursday night.

Donaldson rescinded the proposal from the ordinance after some members of council suggested it was too generous.

Along with the pay rate, the city should also consider what will be the parking manager’s specific duties, and how many paid hours per week will be authorized.

Finally, it should be noted the original function of a municipal authority is to protect a municipality from large debt liabilities. By dissolving the authority board, the city itself has taken on a $6.8 million obligation.

It might be accurate to say the taxpayers are entrusting their financial reputation on the abilities of a part-time parking manager — who, we trust, will be capable of making consistent decisions that are worth far more than the $35,000 a year that the mayor would like to pay.