City bosses’ turnover nears 100% under Katz

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This article was published 17/09/2010 (5764 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Water and waste director Barry MacBride has won city hall’s version of a game of Survivor — he’s the only department head hired before June 2004 who remains with the City of Winnipeg.

In the wake of the pending departures of chief administrative officer Glen Laubenstein and Winnipeg Parking Authority chief operating officer Dave Hill, the Free Press conducted a review of the personnel changes at the top of the City of Winnipeg’s departments and special operating agencies since Mayor Sam Katz took office.

Since then, only water and waste has not experienced turnover at the top. Since June 2004, the senior administrators in other city departments either retired, resigned, moved on to other jobs and in one case, wound up out of work when their department was eliminated.

Some departments have experienced more turnover than others. Winnipeg has had four acting or permanent directors of planning, property and development since 2007 and three acting or permanent chief administrative officers during the same time period.

The turnover of senior managers was the subject of a strongly worded city auditor’s report that warned the city has serious trouble recruiting and retaining professional and managerial staff.

“The volume of retirements at the most senior levels puts the city at a high level of risk, due to the loss of corporate knowledge and management skill,” the report stated. “(This) may result in negative impacts in the city’s ability to continue to deliver services.”

The city has taken that audit to heart and is developing a workforce plan that should be ready in 2011, said senior city spokesman Steve West.

“There is turnover at senior levels, just like there is at all levels,” said West, noting there is nothing to read into the departures of Laubenstein and Hill, who were both recruited by headhunters.

“Two in a short period of time is a little unusual, but I don’t think that makes a trend.”

The morning after Laubenstein informed Katz he’s planning to move back to Fort McMurray, Alta. to resume his duties as CAO of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, Winnipeg’s mayor said all North American municipalities are struggling to hold on to skilled administrators.

“I think the question is, people are always looking for opportunities when they arise. And for some people, it’s not the job they thought it was. (But) in Glen’s case, he loved the job,” Katz told reporters.

But the mayor’s critics on council contend there is something that is driving skilled managers away.

“The fact we’re losing the high-profile in pretty significant numbers is a sign this isn’t a great place to work,” said Fort Rouge Coun. Jenny Gerbasi. “We’ve driven people away.”

But not MacBride, who has worked under three mayors since 1997: Susan Thompson, Glen Murray and Katz.

bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca