City hall is losing some of its bench strength - not a healthy situation

By Pepper Parr

August 20th, 2021

BURLINGTON, ON

 

During the past year Council has heard regularly about serious staffing issues – with frequent mention of people who are about to retire.

Vito Tolone retired this month as Director of Transportation

Vito Tolone retired this month, Christine Swenor left in June. There are a good half dozen that are on the edge of retiring.

There are people who were given opportunities to move up the leadership leader and chose to stay where they are.

The more troubling issue is the number of younger people, several with exceptional skills and really solid work ethics.  They were their to make a difference.

Danielle went to Cambridge where she is now Clerk, Rosa left Burlington to become Director of Planning at another municipality.

There were two other women, I call them the Andreas – one worked in the Clerk’s Office and the other was in Planning and moved on to Information Technology at City Hall.

Both are now working in the City of Hamilton; one is now the Clerk in that city.

I knew both women quite well; always had huge respect for the way they handled themselves and the work they did. Both were excited about the work they were doing and brought very strong work ethics to their jobs.

And I found myself wondering – how did these two women get away. They were the backbone on which the new civic administration was going to be built.

While I personally wish the very best for all four women – they will be missed and the city is much the worse for their deciding to leave, there is that lingering concern – where is the bench strength.

Our Staffing issues are not yet resolved.

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