City of Ottawa Planning Department

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Councillor decries city layoffs while colleagues discuss details


BY JAKE RUPERT , THE OTTAWA CITIZENMARCH 25, 2009 2:39 PMBE THE FIRST TO POST A COMMENT


OTTAWA — At least one city councillor is not happy with a round of layoffs being made at city hall Wednesday.

Council is in a closed-door meeting discussing the layoffs, which are a part of a larger city-wide push to save $113 million, and the job cuts are to be formally announced when the meeting finishes.

But that didn’t stop outspoken Capital Councillor Clive Doucet from criticizing the move.

Doucet left the meeting as city manager Kent Kirkpatrick was explaining how the middle-management cuts expected in this round would work, and how they are expected to improve city services.

Doucet said what’s happening simply doesn’t make sense, and he couldn’t stand to sit and listen to it any more.

“We’re seeking half a billion dollars in funding from upper-tier governments to create jobs, and we’re laying people off at the same time,” he said. “Finding employment is hard now, and if we get the government money, we’ll need to hire more staff because there will be more work.

“It’s hard for me to see the coherence in all of this.”

The realignment was launched before the worldwide economic downturn took hold, but Mayor Larry O’Brien has said it’s even more important now in order to keep property-taxes in check.

Last year in Ottawa, Kirkpatrick eliminated 100 unfilled municipal jobs and announced his intention to cut 230 more.

In two completed rounds of downsizing, several top managers were laid off or took early retirement. At the time, O’Brien and Kirkpatrick said the next level to be targeted would be middle managers and the numbers would be greater.

There have been reports Wednesday of people being escorted from their offices by city security guards.

© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen


Ottawa City Hall 'realigns' through job cuts
Last Updated: Wednesday, March 25, 2009 | 11:57 AM ET
CBC News

Ottawa City Hall is going through a "corporate realignment" that could mean pink slips for as many as 50 mid-level managers, CBC News has learned.

Mayor Larry O'Brien has called a special council meeting Wednesday in which Kent Kirkpatrick, the city manager, is expected to brief councillors on the coming changes.

The city hopes to reduce the size of its bureaucracy as it works toward its Corporate Realignment Project goal of cutting $100 million in city spending.

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