City Personnel Matters

Members of the Mayor and Council have received queries about city personnel matters. There are rules about what we and others can and cannot do and say. I want to explain some of those.

With respect to the personnel matters under review in the city it is worth keeping in mind the following: Mayor and Council do not have access to the personnel records of any city staff member under the city manager, nor can Mayor and Council discuss with the city manager, the director of human resources, or any other employee of the city, personnel matters in which Mayor and Council are not personally involved. Given the nature of the allegations, and that the elected body is not in a position to ascertain the truth, the most efficient and reliable way to determine what is going on is to hire an outside firm with expertise in this area. Members of Mayor and Council cannot presuppose the outcome of the review, nor should members of Mayor and Council be speaking on this matter at this time. Further, Mayor and Council directly supervise only the city manager, the city attorney, and the city clerk. Members of this elected body are not in a position to assess the performance of any other city employee and should not discuss personnel matters publicly and especially in the press.

Any information in the media has come from individuals who volunteered this information. If the director of human resources refuses to discuss personnel matters it is because he is doing his job and is following the law. Silence on the part of Mayor and Council and the city staff with respect to these matters does not constitute agreement with the allegations and does not amount to stonewalling.

Members of the public should not jump to conclusions about the merits of the allegations. Once the investigation is completed by Saul Ewing, the city will be in a better position to address any legitimate allegations as necessary.

Mark Pierzchala

Rockville City Council