A Hostile City Government
For three years, I have experienced a hostile city government and recognize the good fortune I have to not be an employee dependent on my paycheck working in this environment. Imagine the improvement to worker productivity if City Leaders hired competent managers, trained in their respective fields and capable of managing people and creating a comfortable and pleasant setting. We are all responsible for our own happiness, but a good City government would not willingly perpetuates a hostile work environment.
When oppressive, uneducated managers push unjustified restrictions down on employees creating a stressful, tense work climate, we all lose. Customer service falls apart and productivity declines. More wasted tax dollars.
My early research at City Hall was met with a pleasant work environment with clerical office staff happily willing to assist. I became aware that the Chief of Assessing did not like me or the work I was doing, but the front office staff showed no signs of sharing his opinions. They were professional and pleasant.
The Mayor decided to appoint new untrained, unqualified management that, I came to realize, had a goal of driving me out of the office and shutting down open access to public records. In a short period of time, the staff became tense, unfriendly, and downright unpleasant. They refused to come to the counter when I entered the office, never offered a greeting, and kept their heads down. One worker looked so frightened, she cowered like a dog threatened with a newspaper. The office staff collectively looked like they gained 75 pounds. One staff member whispered, ‘we have been told not to assist you any longer.’
The work environment had become toxic for both citizens and employees. I could not no longer access public information that was readily available. The Manager stopped open inspection of records, part of our city charter, under the guise that she was conducting an undefined office productivity study. The results of the bogus study were never released. The office became much less efficient, paperwork piled up, workers wasting time on a management witch hunt against a disliked citizen, who was now required to file formal Right-to-Knows to obtain walk-in information.
Workers were warned to keep their mouths shut, suddenly everything became confidential. Most workers don’t know that NH has a law that protects government workers' free speech, RSA 98-E, Public Employee Freedom of Expression.
98-E:1 Freedom of Expression. – Notwithstanding any other rule or order to the contrary, a person employed as a public employee in any capacity shall have a full right to publicly discuss and give opinions as an individual on all matters concerning any government entity and its policies. It is the intention of this chapter to balance the rights of expression of the employee with the need of the employer to protect legitimate confidential records, communications, and proceedings.
98-E:2 Interference Prohibited. – No person shall interfere in any way with the right of freedom of speech, full criticism, or disclosure by any public employee.
98-E:4 Employees' Remedies. –
I. A public employee may seek injunctive relief or maintain a civil action, or both, to recover damages for violation of this chapter in any court of competent jurisdiction by bench or jury trial.
II. If the public employee prevails, in addition to damages the court may allow the costs of the action and such attorney's fees as it finds to be reasonable to be paid by the defendant employer.
III. This chapter shall not alter or impair the rights of any person under a collective bargaining agreement or affect any other right or remedy provided in law.
Transparent and open government no longer exists and employees have to tip toe and serpentine through a toxic, stifling work environment protecting themselves and their jobs all to keep citizens from accessing information.
Aldermen positions will be up for re-elections this year. The rubber stamp of the Board has enacted many of these changes in our city services. These seats will be an important step in creating a citizen/employee friendly open and transparent city government. A vote for change is a vote for open government.