Eye On Temiskaming

I think it is time for me to comment on the recent personnel changes at city hall in Temiskaming Shores.  I sure hope many people in the city will actually think about recent events and not forget about everything that has happened in the past 3-4 years.

It’s was a huge blow to Temiskaming Shores when James Smyth lost the battle to cancer, as he has yet to be (even closely) replaced.  I did not know James, but I have heard a great deal and I don’t think the city would be going through all this crap if he was still here.  The best replacement for him would have been Bill Rayburn, the Cobalt CAO at the time when almalgamation was first discussed.

Zurby was the next to take the job… he lasted until after the election when Judy Pace became mayor.  I heard they butted heads often and it didn’t take long to find some reason to terminate him, though there was a lawsuit and we will never hear what it cost to settle/lose. 

Carre was then put in the top job on a six-month contract while the search continued, as they couldn’t find a suitable candidate… he was later made permanent, after gaining some experience.  It took a few months, but after gaining the CAO title, I hear the head-butting with Mayor Pace began and he went from being what she thought was a puppet to having a mind of his own… then he resigned.  I heard it was because he was offered the choice of resigning or being fired, but I haven’t a solid confirmation on that.  Maybe he was sick of dealing with her bullshit and wanted out, for his own health. Did Carre receive a settlement to resign?  We’ll never know.

The next one has a twist.  Mr. Loughran was hired as Director of Finance, then months later had his title changed to Chief Financial Officer, just prior to Carre leaving.  Upon Carre leaving Loughran was made CFO/City Manager, without the city advertising for a City Manager.  It hasn’t taken very long, but now he has been terminated, and I hear is (or will be) suing.  If he was so good to hire as City Manager without even advertising the position, then why has he been terminated so quickly?  Maybe he shouldn’t have been just handed the top job so easily…

Also, during the short tenure of Loughran, management salaries were grossly increased.  Does Mayor Pace have a planned replacement for this job, especially now that the salary grid has increased to a maximum of $170K per year?  We have an inexperienced HR person, so Pace will be able to manipulate these interviews quite easily.

The biggest issue I have is that I hear Mayor Pace stoops to things like asking people to attend meetings and ask pre-planned questions of her and of others, to make them look stupid and her look good, of course.

Did Pace do a good job on the DTSSAB board… you bet, but she didn’t finish.  She worked against bullies like Bill Enouy and Norm Menard to get CAO Eddie Alton out, but I have heard it was at the cost of 2 years salary, which is outrageous, but we’ll never know for sure.  Had she continued what she started, Alton shouldn’t have seen a dime, as his termination was justified.

What I now worry about is that fact we don’t have a financial head in the city.  Loughran was hired for Finance then moved to City Manager, continuing to overseeing finance, but now that he is gone, what if they hire a city manager without a financial background?  A subordinate of Loughran was made the Director of Corporate Services, but she has no financial background to speak of, leaving us hanging in the breeze…

Top this off with the fact that the city was hit with fines/penalties of $100K+ for having illegal software, which no one has taken reponsibility for, nor has anyone been fired, I wonder if there is anyone actually running the ship down there?

The most important thing to consider is how/when are they replacing this position.  With about 2 months left in this term, I don’t think this council should be deciding who gets hired, or else the new council will inherit good and bad.  The new council should determine their own fate regarding this position.

Am I the only one that thinks our council lacks the common sense to manage and spend our money?

I’m sure many of you read about the City Restructuring that recently took place… if not, here it is… our City Manager now has a salary grid that tops out at $170,000.  The old grid topped out at $120K or so.  Directors now make up to $105K where they used to max out at about $80K.  Managers now make up to $85K and Supervisors up to $75K… far more than what they were at.  What has changed?  The grunts were all increased by what… 3% this year?  How have their jobs drastically changed to justify these increases?

Furthermore, they hired a consultant who is conveniently working as one of the Directors?  I don’t remember seeing that job posted!!!  Not only does our city ignore proper hiring practices, they then shift people around in positions and increase salaries, unjustifiably!

First, Brian Carre wasn’t good enough to be offered the CAO job when it was posted, so Judy Pace placed him in the acting CAO position for a “6-month contract”… surprise… he was then the “best” candidate when the position was advertised 6 months later.  Shelley Culhane wasn’t good enough to be offered the Manager of Corporate Services position when it was posted, but was placed in it for a “six-month contract” and turned out to be the “best” candidate for the job when it was re-posted six months later.  What we hear is that there were no suitable candidates, but in fact the process was a facade for “targeting”.  They have to post and interview, but they wanted a certain person for the job… why it was promised or rewarded is anyone’s guess.

Our City Manager was given that job after Carre left, without posting for the position… was there a better candidate… we’ll never know.  The City Manager was hired as the Director of Finance… but that doesn’t mean he should be an automatic for the City Manager job.

I’m hoping that our Mayor has balls enough to give us all the numbers as to where this $350K of annual savings is going to be… I can’t see it myself… terminating one person, hiring someone else at close to the salary, then jacking up all the management salaries doesn’t add up to savings with my math.  Mayor Judy screams that everyone should come see her at City Hall… well Judy, don’t make me come down there!  I won’t keep whatever you say a secret… I might repeat it.

So our new City Manager job pays $170K/year… Temiskaming Shores had a population of 10,732 in the last census.  Here are some of the Ontario municipalities that have a City Manager or CAO that made less last year, their population, and the top salary:

Do those places not look like they have much greater greater population and commercial/industrial tax base than we have?  You better believe it… but did our council consider this when they approved these raises?

How about these local salaries:

Sure, these guys make more, but they also have a minimum  4 times the population, but not 4 times the salary.

It’s like Sesame Street… one of these things just doesn’t belong here…

I really think I need to consider running for council… though I doubt enough people around here know me to count enough votes to matter…

I have a background in accounting and government… I suppose I wouldn’t be “good enough”.