Saying It, Doesn't Make It True

”In our continuing attempt to maintain a high level of public services to our citizens, staff is recommending organizational changes that provide for a more responsive government as well as better defining management responsibilities and accountability.”
Rich Guillen, City Administrator, Staff Report, Budget Message for the Fiscal Years 2006-07 Through 2008-09 Triennial Budget, May 23, 2006.

Changing the title “Police Chief” to “Public Safety Director,” “Finance Manager” to “Administrative Services Director;” “Community Services Manager” to “Community Services Director;” “Principal Planner” to “Planning Services Manager;” and creating a new “Community Development Department” to combine the old Planning & Building, Building Maintenance, Public Works, and Forest, Parks and Beach Departments, does not necessarily “provide for a more responsive government” or better “accountability.” In reality, the opposite may to true. Whenever government institutes opaque job titles, where the public doesn’t have the foggiest idea what the individual’s duties and responsibilities are, the government is erecting an obstacle to accountable government.

Furthermore, opaque government job titles communicate to the public the government’s disregard for the public, their role as citizens, and their right to government information. Whereas the job titles Police Chief, Finance Manager, Principal Planner and department titles Planning & Building, Building Maintenance, Public Works and Forest, Parks and Beach are clearly descriptive, the job titles of Public Safety Director, Administrative Services Director, Planning Services Manager and the department name Community Development Department are opaque and meaningless to citizens.

And while Human Resources Manager Jane Miller’s 3 October 2006 Staff Report, reviewed by City Administrator Rich Guillen, states that “no additional funding is requested,” Guillen’s Budget Message Staff Report states, as follows: “Not currently included in the personnel costs are any obligations which may occur as part of the ongoing labor negotiations. In addition, some of the above recommended position changes might also require additional budget adjustments.”

Ergo, not only is it unclear how the City Administrator’s change in job titles will “provide for a more responsive government...and accountability,” it is also unclear whether additional costs will be required for these changes. One thing is certain, however; and that is, despite the city’s wake up call from the 2005 Monterey County Civil Grand Jury Report on Open Government, the “city” remains oblivious to the concept of serving the public, which includes ensuring Carmelites have open, transparent government, easy access to information and a staff and city council who are committed to being responsive and accountable to all Carmel-by-the-Sea residents.

Reference:
From the 2005 Monterey County Civil Grand Jury Report on Open Government:

BACKGROUND A number of complaints were received from residents and former employees of the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea. These complaints ranged from human resource issues resulting from the organizational downsizing that occurred in 2004 to issues of communications with the residents of Carmel-by-the-Sea and an alleged inaccessibility of elected officials to participate in open debate and timely resolution of issues.