I love my town and love life here and for the past year and a half have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the city cog that makes things happen. But sometimes well-meaning ogres make a three-ring circus out of life. City Council evidently let some things get away from them and now the City is in a budget crisis.
Fiscal year starts May 1 and the Council had no choice but to pass yet another deficit budget. This time in their wisdom to save money, they included in the budget the reduction of the building department staff by one person…a layoff, the first any current employee across the City can remember. It boils down to either my counterpart, John, who is 66 years old, a Master Code Professional, and who has been here going on three years, or me being laid off. It is common knowledge that John is quite dissatisfied here and has been looking around at other employment options but so far hasn’t come up with anything. The City Manager had authorized employment for the next sixty days as a form of severance package. Our boss flatly stated last night that if John doesn’t leave in sixty days, he has to lay off the one with the lowest in service time…me.
Earlier this week and knowing what was coming, I had placed a call to the manager at Rochelle’s Boise-Cascade plant with whom I’ve spoken before. Our B-C plant here is a wholesale lumber and building materials supplier. The manager didn’t have any options for me so I wrote it off and moved on. Last night when I arrived home, Mary told me that the B-C manager had just called five minutes before, so I called him right back. Turns out that he does have an opening for someone of my qualifications. It’s an engineering/estimating/customer support type of job. I have a first phone interview this afternoon.
Rochelle City Council passed the budget that eliminated my position. Instead of using me, the City will be bringing in an outside consulting firm to conduct building inspections and other related building issues. I just had a very favorable job interview this evening with that consulting firm. The job comes with a few added bennies over what I have now plus another $7000 in salary.
How does one thumb one’s nose at one confused little City Council?
Good luck!!!
