Debbie: Imitation is the best form of flattery

NEWS RELEASE

MAYOR DEBBIE AMAROSO

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Imitation is the best form of flattery. 

Mayoral candidate Provenzano has outlined a Vacancy Management Policy that has, in fact, been a practice within the City of Sault Ste. Marie for approximately 15 years. 

There have been a number of reports in front of Council over the past several years outlining staffing vacancies and if and how they will be filled. 

Positions have been eliminated or combined and some have remained the same. 

All decisions have been based on the needs of the Corporation. 

Those decisions have resulted in cost savings in millions of dollars over this time period. 

Again, all of these reports are public and available to any candidate truly wanting to know and understand the business of the Corporation.

The actual staffing size of the Corporation of the City of Sault Ste. Marie has increased; however, the size of the staff is result of the Provincial downloading exercise which occurred in or about 1998. 

The City now employs people in the area Child Care, Social Housing, Ontario Works and Land Ambulance which were not part of the complement prior to this initiative. 

However, if you look at the staffing numbers without these areas there has been a decrease in City staff.

When looking at Fixed Term Contracts for senior levels of any organization a number of issues need to be brought into the equation. 

Consideration must be given to recruitment and training costs, in addition to generally higher salaries and benefits which are required to attract the best talent for any community. 

Most organizations focus on retention strategies to ensure good people remain within their employers versus losing strong, knowledgeable and effective expertise.

Sudbury was referenced as utilizing these policies. 

In discussion with my colleagues, these strategies were used in the Greater Sudbury Area during their amalgamation process to ensure the needs of the community were being met and redundancies were diminished in the Corporation. 

They now utilize the same review process as we do right here in Sault Ste. Marie.

I was an active member of City Council representing Ward 5 for three terms prior to running for Mayor. 

Those 9 years afforded me the opportunity to learn and understand how the Municipality functions as a whole, the role of Mayor and Council and also of City Staff. 

I have now brought that knowledge to the Mayor’s office enabling decision making based on the facts and experience. 

The proposal outlined by this candidate is redundant as is his outline for Downtown Revitalization. 

We are so much further advanced than what he suggests. 

I repeat - imitation is the best form of flattery, but what we need to do as a community is to move forward and not waste time and energy by revisiting plans and process which are already in place and showing success.

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