Who they are

NAME: George R. Kolb

AGE: 59

MOST RECENT JOB: City manager, Wichita, Kan., 2004 to 2008

REASON FOR LEAVING: The City Council cited "philosophical differences" with Kolb in announcing his departure in November. His last day was Jan. 2. He received a severance package of $182,700.

PREVIOUS JOBS: City administrator, Augusta, Ga., 2001 to 2004. Deputy city manager, Richmond, Va., 1992 to 2001.

THE WORD ON KOLB: Media reports indicate Kolb has had a tumultuous time in his past two stints as the head of a city, often butting heads with elected leaders and the community. The Wichita Eagle newspaper reported that in his farewell address to his staff in Augusta, he gestured toward the city commissioners' dais and said, "Hopefully I'll have a better time [in Wichita.]" He wasn't fired from his Augusta job, but the specter of not renewing his contract came up often in public meetings, according to news reports.

In Wichita, Kansas' largest city, he drew praise for his role in the building of a new airport terminal and in improving Wichita's budget process. But he took heat for, as The Eagle's editorial board put it, "his often uncompromising and uncommunicative way of dealing with elected officials, developers and unions." Police and firefighter unions picketed City Hall several times when Kolb didn't meet their demands for pay raises.

Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer wouldn't go into specifics about why the city parted ways with Kolb.

"He was passionate about his direction, and we were passionate about ours, and he decided to go his way, and we went our way," Brewer said Monday.

Brewer said he would recommend Kolb for the Durham top job, noting his successes in economic development and urban blight removal.

Not so for former Mayor Carlos Mayans, who claimed in a long interview Monday that Kolb campaigned behind the scenes to get Mayans out of office in last year's election.

He said Kolb engaged in "divide-and-conquer politics," forging deals with other council members to vote against the mayor.

Kolb also flouted open-meetings laws by discussing matters behind closed doors that should have been made public, Mayans said.

"He's a very charming person, but very, very divisive," Mayans said.

KOLB ON KOLB: "I believe I have the skills and abilities to bring about change and encourage continuous improvement in Durham. I know that I can hit the ground running."

NAME: Charles R. "Randy" Oliver

AGE: 57

MOST RECENT JOB: City manager, Peoria, Ill., 2003 to 2008

REASON FOR LEAVING: Differences with City Council. Peoria council member Eric Turner, an Oliver supporter, said, "We have people with agendas, as most city councils do. If they didn't get their way, they'd say we're going to fire him." After a while, he said, a city manager is likely to "get a little fed up" with such treatment and decide to leave. "Unfortunately that's what he did."

PREVIOUS JOBS: City manager, Greenville, S.C., 1999 to 2003; city administrator, Augusta, Ga., 1996 to 1999

THE WORD ON OLIVER: Turner praised Oliver as "one of the most solid city managers I've ever seen." He was heavily involved in redevelopment projects, such as working a deal to put a new library and a private company into an old department store building.

Turner said Oliver could be hard on members of the city staff, which led to some dissension.

"I think the only negative was some of the people at City Hall, because he expected a lot out of them, he wasn't as close to his department heads as he could have been," Turner said. "When he wanted something done, he wanted it done."