For anyone that has taken the time to look at the posted agenda for tomorrow night's (17th) City Council meeting, you may have noticed the final note at the end of the agenda that mentioned a particular executive session. Many, no doubt, have asked, "What does that mean?" and "Can they do that?"
The executive session notice advises that the City Manager along with the City Council as well as the City Attorney and all department heads are going into executive session to discuss the "employment" of the listed employees. If you continued to read, you would see that the listed employees are every employee of the City of Broken Arrow. That's right, every last one of them!
Still, what does that mean? It means that the City Manager, who is ultimately responsible for the content of the agenda, would prefer to talk about your job behind closed doors. You see it is much easier to make his case with half-truths and false information if there is no one present that knows any better. He is much more comfortable recommending that your job is no longer needed if he doesn't have to look at you while he is doing it!!
Can they do that? NO THEY CAN'T!!
State Statute does allow for executive session in order to talk about the employment of individual employees, but what they are attempting to do is an obvious abuse of this law. Any public official that violates the Open Meetings Act can actually be charged with a misdemeanor crime. You can't for a second think that they are going to talk about the individual employment of over 600 listed employees.
Will they, or won't they? Ultimately no one knows. What we do know is that every single employee is listed on this list, so in theory they are going to be in there talking about your job. Are you going to sit at home and hope for the best, or are you going to take a couple of hours out of your life and go to the meeting and be seen. Every employee and citizen of BA needs to show up and send the message that we care about ourselves, those we work with and the citizens of Broken Arrow.
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2 comments:
It seems to me that Jim Twombly and the entire city council missed the point on why there were so many red shirts in the crowd at the city council meeting. It wasn't about layoffs or eliminating positions. It's about the mismanagement that has been occurring pretty much since Twombly took office. Taxes and revenues are up (just look at all of the press releases and the state tax records), yet we've been in a financial crisis for three years!?!?! This "company" needs a new CEO.
I agree. I am very glad jobs were saved but now I am now an upset citizen who will have to pay higher fees for services from Broken Arrow because the City Managment can't manage the money. Everyone should write all the council and let them know that we won't stand for mis-mananging money and to take a closer look at where the money is going.According to the news, 6 new stores and 3 new Resturants--guess they have already spent that money that will be coming in. On what? Who knows... did Twombly take a pay raise? Why? when very few who work the hardest got nothing!!!!!!!
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