He’s only been on the job for three months and Durham City Manager Tom Bonfield has decided he needs another high-level administrator.

I wish I could believe Mr. Bonfield’s reorganization plan will get Durham running efficiently — something Durham’s taxpayers have for years been longing for. Bonfield deserves a chance to show his skill at leading, but his request for yet another high-level bureaucrat is a red flag about his definition of efficiency.

On a positive note, Mr. Bonfield has, as part of his plan, defined “core services.” Here’s how he sees it (emphasis is mine):

The decision to hire a third deputy manager — and shuffle the deputies’ oversight responsibilities — was the other big change.

Holdover deputy Ted Voorhees will work with what Bonfield said are the city’s core services: the 911 center, Fleet Management, Parks, General Services, Public Works, water, Transit and Solid Waste.

Police, Fire and Emergency Management will report directly to Bonfield, but they’ll also be part of Voorhees’ operations group and participate in meetings with the departments under its flag.

The other holdover deputy, Wanda Page, will oversee support departments: Finance, Budget, Human Resources, Technology Solutions, Equal Opportunity/Equity Assurance and the Office of Strategic Initiatives.

The yet-to-be-hired new deputy will watch over “community building”: City/County Planning, City/County Inspections, the Office of Economic and Workforce Development, Community Development, Neighborhood Improvement Services and Human Relations.

Most local officials — whether paid staffers or elected politicians — are hesitant to define “core services.” By doing so, people can clearly see what’s not core to the city’s mission.