Avery pens letter for City Hall employees, Department Heads

I have said, “this is not my quest.” I have asked for support of my position to remove the Niagara Falls City Administrator from her job. I have asked for those who are close enough to evaluate her performance to either give credence to my observations, or dispute them with tales of success from the powerful City Hall office. We received a handful of “attaboys” in writing. That’s all.

Yet every day, yes, EVERY day since my last writing, I received verbal support to continue my efforts to seek an end to this waste of taxpayer money, and force the Mayor to find someone capable of running this City as a City Administrator should. Many who approached me are City Hall employees and Department Heads, fearing for their jobs if they say anything. Bullsh*t! If we can’t get someone released from a job they can’t do and won’t do, with proven performances of inadequacies, how are you going to get fired for putting your name on something that everyone is in agreement with?

I am going to say this, ONE…MORE….TIME:

The current City Administrator is unable to conduct the duties of her office. Her temperament, professionalism, and people skills have been questioned by City residents and City employees. Administrative updates given at Council meetings have been mostly handled by the Mayor, perhaps an indication he is not comfortable with her presentation and communications skills. Information to be presented to the City Council is many times lacking or non-existent. (Remember the parking meters?)

Department heads are rarely asked for update reports which she insists she uses to gauge departmental progress. She seldom attends meetings that are pertinent to her office, and more than one employee in more than one department has told us she has NEVER stepped foot in their office. She did decorate City Hall for Christmas, so she’s got that going for her.

I am concerned, not for the salary gone to waste, but the opportunity this City has lost in not running as efficiently as it could under proper leadership. I am concerned that there are several good employees in City Hall whose jobs are effected because a portion of their time is spent on tasks she should be handling. I am concerned as to the trickle-down effect of ineffective leadership. I am concerned our City is in dire straits and can’t afford to have people in charge who are not respected, not productive, and not caring.

I know for a fact that several people in positions of authority have shared similar concerns with the Mayor. I know for a fact this is not just my quest. I’m just the only guy writing about it. So here’s what I’m going to do: I am attaching a letter for any City Hall employee who agrees with these thoughts to sign and present to the Mayor and City Council. Collectively, you will not be fired. If you are fired, think of the fame and fortune you will have when media outlets around the world cover your plight. Remember, all you have to do is have someone back you up by saying you do a good job, and that will be better than the one we are trying to get out of your way. Let’s get a good leader in place, so you can do your job without having to cover up all the blunders of a poorly run organization.

If no one signs this letter, please don’t ask me to continue my “Quest.” If you can’t help yourself, you should all pack it in.

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Dear Mayor Dyster and Council Members:

We, the undersigned, respectively request you consider the job performance of the current City Administrator and replace her with someone we could respect in a position of leadership. As each department struggles to provide services that are clearly the City Administrator’s duties, our daily responsibilities are neglected. This City can not function effectively under the leadership of the current City Administrator. We understand you have been made aware of our observations, and this request is made purely in the best interest of the City of Niagara Falls.

Very truly yours;

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

  1. Dan Vecchies says:

    Not a single thing will change in this city until there is a competent mayor with the balls to stand up to Albany and the governor and other state agencies. In over fifty years of decline it is either corruption or incompenance or both. It’s been going on for a long long time. For some reason even the people that would benefit the most by electing new people seem to just fall in line when it comes time to vote. It’s not only the current mayor or city administrator, it’s a long list of individuals without the needed skill sets, knowledge, or ability to manage and grow this city and to also negotiate better deal when it comes to the state and now the Senecas. Unfortunately there’s no one on the horizon that can change the course of the ongoing decline of Niagara Falls.

    It’s a shame the state of this city, the waste and miss management of the money coming into the city and its lack and inability to keep a portion of the huge amounts of money that leave this city never to be seen again, monies from power authority, the majority of the slot revenue, the parks and bridge commission etc.

    There is so much money leaving that if only a small portion remained, say 25-30% we can have a property tax free city, instead of the highest taxes. We can have the lowest utility cost instead of the highest. How do you think these two changes would affect the interest of people and businesses looking at this city and possibly moving here.?

    Niagara Falls has more development people, departments and agencies then cities five times it size! So what’s really going? The city is a city in poverty and most of the current people in power are just adding to the poverty.

    In 2001 a state mandated development agency came to town and stated they would transform downtown Niagara Falls into another Times Square, hmmm? Well 15 years later how has that turned out? Third Street was identified as the entertainment district ?

    This town doesn’t need these agencies and their million dollar a year budgets unless there are able to transform the downtown or city much faster then it would develop on its own simply from private developers seeing opportunity because of demand, I.e. military road.

    Fifteen years and still vacant store fronts, empty buildings etc. !!

    There’s much more that can be said, however I do agree with Craig but there is a much bigger problem going on then just a city administrator in over her head. Replacing her with another incompetent person, because that’s the norm in this town is like removing one pimple on an ass full of pimples without changing the cause of all those pimples. And this city is full of pimples.

    Keep pushing Craig !

    Dan Vecchies

  2. Jim Hufnagel says:

    Rearranging the deck chairs, if you ask me.

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