“They’re dropping like flies” is how a longtime city employee described the mass exodus of key employees over the last six months. Whether they’re deciding to leave on their own or being unceremoniously pushed out, as many see it, there is something seriously wrong happening at city hall.
Disagreements over policy shouldn’t be used to conduct personal attacks on individual employees. City employees are responsible for carrying out the goals and strategies laid out by council. If councilors decide to pivot the direction the city is taking, they can change policies and plans and employees will adjust accordingly; that’s their job.
Since January, 12 high level employees have left the building. Losing a key employee with a specialized role like city attorney, city manager or public works director can cost an organization up to 200% or more of the employee’s annual salary. Severance pay, vacancy costs, recruiting fees, onboarding and training expenses, disruption to strategic projects, and lost institutional knowledge will cost the city millions of dollars.
Fear has begun to take root in city hall among the staff who remain. When employees see their colleagues pushed out or punished for doing their jobs with professionalism and integrity, it sends a chilling message: loyalty to leadership is more important than competence, collaboration or community. This kind of fear-based culture leads to lower morale, decreased productivity and a reluctance to take initiative — all of which impact the services residents rely on every day.
If fiscal responsibility is the goal, this is the wrong path. We are the gold standard of the Valley, beloved by residents and tourists alike, because of the world-class service provided by our exceptional employees. Barry Graham and his ideologically driven bloc are making short-sighted, irrational, dogmatic decisions that will harm our city for many years to come.
Tammy Caputi is a former Scottsdale City Council member. Please send your comments to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.
