The Vision Vancouver-led city council that hired city manager Penny Ballem in 2008 to steer an ambitious agenda that included reducing the number of homeless people on the street and preparing Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Olympics decided Tuesday not to renew her contract.
Mayor Gregor Robertson didn’t use the word “fired” but made it clear that Ballem’s almost seven-year run as the city’s top bureaucrat was over, saying it was time for “a fresh approach as we would look to tackle some of the city’s toughest challenges.”
In making the decision, which occurred at an in-camera meeting Tuesday, the city must now pay the 65-year-old Ballem a $556,000 severance. Ballem had an open-ended contract and did not resign, according to the mayor, who spoke at a news conference at city hall.
“I don’t believe she had intentions to retire,” Robertson told reporters, who asked the mayor several times to give specific reasons for parting ways with Ballem. “Refreshing leadership is necessary and I think -- without pointing specifically to changes that need to happen -- I think there’s an opportunity with new leadership to address some of those concerns around a more collaborative approach as a city.”
Robertson said he promised in the 2014 civic election campaign to “do things differently,” referring to complaints from the public about lack of consultation at city hall and the pace of change in neighbourhoods. He also said with the recent departures and retirements of chief engineer Peter Judd (April), general manager of community services Brenda Prosken (June) and head of planning Brian Jackson (November) that it was a good time to create a new leadership team.
Deputy city manager Sadhu Johnston will serve as acting city manager while the city conducts an international search for a new manager. Johnston was brought in under Ballem from Chicago and has been the city’s point person on council’s environmental plan to see Vancouver become the “greenest city in the world” by 2020.
The Courier attempted to reach Ballem on her cellphone but she was unavailable. She was at a city council meeting Tuesday morning and delivered a report on the FIFA Women’s World Cup, her last presentation as city manager.
All three NPA councillors said they first learned of the mayor’s intentions to not renew Ballem’s contract at an in-camera meeting following the morning public meeting. Councillors are prohibited from discussing in-camera matters but the NPA trio was clearly not happy with how they received the news.
“We were informed that she was leaving immediately,” NPA Coun. Elizabeth Ball told the Courier.
Ball said the NPA’s relationship with Ballem was “extremely positive and neutral.” She and her NPA colleagues Melissa De Genova and George Affleck said they were concerned the city was losing many of its leaders this year.
“It’s a difficult time for staff to transition,” said De Genova, noting she was worried about the effect on morale.
Ballem was perceived by some at city hall as a micro-manager. When the mayor was asked by a reporter about critics describing her as a “bully,” Robertson said Ballem set an intense pace and was “a force of nature and got an enormous amount of work done here.” Former head planner Brent Toderian, who was let go by the city a few years ago took to Twitter Tuesday, writing: What goes around, comes around.
What goes around, comes around. #Vancouver #VanPoli
— Brent Toderian (@BrentToderian) September 15, 2015
Despite parting ways with Ballem, the mayor praised her leadership on righting the financial mess at the Olympic Village, overseeing the city’s work with the Olympic Games and managing the city’s billion-dollar budget. Ballem was hired the same week Robertson and his Vision team were sworn into office in December 2008. She replaced Judy Rogers, who was fired.
“She’s been an extraordinary city manager, that obviously doesn’t last forever,” the mayor said of Ballem, whose contract at city hall also allowed her to continue practising as a hematologist one morning per week.
City council will be without Ballem as it faces a big policy decision this fall when it decides whether to demolish the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts. Council also continues to work on creating more so-called affordable housing in Vancouver. A new city manager will likely not be hired for three to six months.
@Howellings
