Written by I’ve heard there are rumors around certain parts of city hall that this-or-that employee may be at risk because of the new mayor and new council members.
While I can’t speak for Denis or the other council members, I will share my observation that most (or perhaps all) of us Renton elected officials, including Mayor-elect Law, see all the city employees as part of our family, and we will actually be needing a bunch of additional “family” members with the Benson Hill annexation.
I know I have blogged in the past about the way we were utilizing certain staff, but any changes in priorities will not cause a reduction in employment….especially not with all the new employees we need to bring aboard.
There will probably be some re-location of fire department personnel due to the merging with Fire District 40, but these issues have already been discussed in public meetings and fire unions have already expressed support.
And there will be new work plans in the mayor’s office, which will probably refocus the strong team of employees that support leadership, annexations, communication, and other executive functions. While the specific details are largely up to the new mayor, I’m expecting all of this great team to remain aboard. Where the new mayor makes changes, it’s my expectation that everyone affected will feel involved in decision-making and very comfortable with their new roles, authorities, responsibilities and priorities. I know Denis is masterful at this style of management, so I expect this to go extremely smoothly.
I expect less change in other departments, with the greatest impact occurring from assimilation of new employees required to support the new Benson Hill section of the city.
Again, I can only speak for myself, but this is how I see things shaping up. And I know the other council members and mayor-elect very well, so I think my expectations about their intentions should be pretty accurate.
I hope that this helps prevent rumors. Any staff members that have any concerns are encouraged to contact Denis Law, or a member of the council, and simply ask about whatever is of concern to you. We will all be candid and honest with you. You can even ask me questions by leaving a comment on this blog. You can also call me at 425-271-6913.
For those staff members reading this, thanks SO MUCH for keeping the city running so smoothly through such a rough-and-tumble campaign season. You were professional and resilient through some difficult months, and we all REALLY appreciate it.
Best Wishes,
Randy
Great note Randy! There are many wonderful, talented and hard working people in City Hall, several of whom were caught in the crossfire of the last few years. It will be great to see you all now working together on the same page, looking ahead for Renton.
But the budget is having pay cuts in my devision. I hope there is a fix.
I don’t have enough detail to thoroughly respond to this concern, but I promise you that to the extent I am able to control things, no matter what division you are in there will not be lay-offs or employee salary cuts. It’s possible we may do some re-deployment…moving employees from one function to another (in coordination with the unions), as a result of changing priorities or taking on new citizens. We need to do some serious hiring to reach the employment required to manage Benson Hill. Our responsibilities just increased by 25 %. In fact, if you have friends with experience in municipal work, be sure to have them check the city’s website for job listings.
I’m one of seven councilmembers, and the others have equal say of course, but from my campaign work and my years on council I think I know the philosophy most of the other council members have adopted regarding the leadership changeover….and it will be very similar to my own. I believe this applies to Mayor-elect Law as well.
I hope this helps you feel more comfortable.
Best Wishes,
Randy