Marty Meehan…Jim Moriarty…John Kinney…?
For a LONG time the tradition in Lowell was that the Mayor was allowed an aide and whoever was Mayor would bring in a person who they could work with and who would represent them in the Mayor’s Office.
In Lowell the past 6 Mayor’s have chosen to keep the same aide Diane Bujnowski. She was respected by all who dealt with her and gained a great many admirers for all she did for the various Mayors.
Mayor Murphy apparently tried to work with her but ultimately found that he was looking for more than a secretary and was instead looking for someone who would be a true aide and represent him at the office and maybe even in the community and he has chosen to replace Bujnowski.
The Mayor’s aide is NOT a union position and serves at the pleasure of the Mayor.
Mayor Murphy has chosen to go a different way and he is allowed to do that.
The SUN this afternoon has the HEADLINE “Longtime Lowell mayoral aide fired” and that makes it look bad for both Murphy and Bujnowski.
The Sun article never mentions that BEFORE Bujnowski it was a tradition for the Mayor to hire his /her own aide but when you have a cub reporter covering City Hall who was only 8 or 9 and growing up in the people’s republic of Cambridge when Bujnowski started, he may NOT know the history.
Oh well Mayor Murphy sure took advantage of the stage this morning and skewered the SUN so payback this afternoon was theirs.
Let’s se how long it takes for someone to blame Bernie!
What is all the noise about The girl knew the job served at the will of the Mayor she must have gotten too comfortable in the position. Could the Mayor have done a better job of how he did it sure but hey it was his call
Once again, I am disapointed in the Mayor. This issue could have been handled much better than he did. How about 2 weeks notice? So who takes over now? Someone who doesn’t know the ins and outs of City Hall.
The twisted reality of life, is that employees give 2 weeks notice. Employers get to walk you out, carrying your pink slip.
It should be noted that ‘how he handled it’ is understood by quotes framed in The Sun.
Sadly, we have pols that just can’t manage to ignore the blog of record’s inquiries. Exacerbating a touchy situation with remarks playing the Editor’s wheelhouse is unfortunate. The blurts of Bud Caulfield are as shallow, as they are predictible. Worse yet, Councilor Mercier seems to have forgotten awkward details of her own term as Mayor, before she decided to strike a pose ‘looking out for the little guy.’ Again.
This change is a continuation of the modernization of The Mayor’s office. (The modernization of all of the Council’s charges) It happens to be Mayor Murphy to affect this evolution. He has vision, if not forward, at least to recognize that Lowell is ready for this.
Next week will illustrate, who is lifting Lowell up and who is holding it down.
You NEVER give an employee two weeks’ notice. EVER.
You would be taking the chance that that employee, disgruntled and still able to access their email, servers, and the physical location, would cause the employer damage, like changing passwords they have ultimate access for or other things.
You ALWAYS blindside someone even if it’s just a downsizing or layoff that has nothing to do with the employee in question. You pull them into your office, tell them they are being laid off/fired, and then they get escorted to their desk to clear it out and then escorted out of the building (after giving any keys, access cards, etc to security). I’ve been on the receiving end of a layoff in the past, and it wasn’t even a contentious situation, and this was what I faced. It sucked hard, and I was unhappy about it seeming like I wasn’t trusted, but in retrospect (I was young then) it made sense.
And hence the fact that in the article linked, the woman has all sorts of quotes about being blindsided and told things were fine and how it was a slap in the face, well, that’s how it feels, even in normal layoffs and such. OF COURSE Lyle would be able to get such quotes from her…fueling controversy, and giving Bud and Rita plenty of ammo. I’m shocked, shocked that the Sun would make hay with this. Not.
Hell, if I were Murphy, I’d worry a little bit about her cozy relationship with past mayors who have anti-Murphy/anti-Lynch agendas. Maybe she’s trustworthy, but maybe not, or maybe Murphy couldn’t make a clear determination of her trustworthiness. Things have been leaked from City Hall to damage someone else’s tribe, after all.
And her replacement is VERY satisfying, and everyone in the city will like it. Even Bud. If only because it’s hard to kick a recently-returned veteran…