By Pepper Parr
March 24th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
One of the tasks Brynn Nheiley had was to talk up all the reasons for working in Burlington.
At one point she was saying:
Brynn Nheiley
As you look through our current job openings, remember: the grass is greener at the City of Burlington. With approximately 890 full-time and 600 part-time employees, we focus on teamwork, collaboration and investing in our co-workers. It’s no wonder our employee turnover rate is less than 7 per cent (that’s good). The City of Burlington is an award winning city, filled with award winning staff. In fact, we put the “greater” in the GTA.
Brynn at one point believed every word she said – but she is no longer with the city; however, the 890 full time workers and the 600 part time workers are in place and they are talking to each other.
There is fear and apprehension among the city employees.
There is a vacuum with no on speaking on behalf of the city administration or city Council.
Mayor Meed Ward on the porch of her house preparing to broadcast to the citizens of the city during the lock down period of the pandemic.
During the pandemic the Mayor was everywhere; speaking from the porch of her house; in front of the hospital using a megaphone to tell the hospital workers that the city appreciated to work they were doing.
The Mayor organized caravans that drove through the city – she did whatever could and thought was needed to assure a worried public.
What we have now is an uninformed public getting whatever individual response Councillors are putting out. We are not aware of any special editions of newsletters being issued by individual Council members.
We are not seeing a lot of chatter on the X platform.
If there is no voice from the leadership – people create their own voice – which is often frenetic.
All of this does not bode well for the city. The chatter amongst those who work in the municipal sector is wicked. These people work together closely – they collaborate their responses to the provincial and federal government.
One can only imagine the chaos at Ontario Big City Mayors, (OBCM) , of which Meed Ward is the current chair.
Ontario Big City Mayors family portrait – worth a thousand words
Holding a position like that requires the respect of your peers
Mayor Meed Ward’s reputation is being shredded by her council members; the people she works with at the Ministry of Housing must be having quite a chuckle at Burlington’s expense.
All this is happening within a vacuum created by city council and the administration.
The Gazette has asked each member of council to show the leadership expected of them when they were elected.
