Purchasing Policy

The following anonymous comment is suspected to have been sent by an employee of the City of Wentzville. The Wentzvillian is a citizen's advocate and as such, believes in the protection of tax-payers money and supports accountability of our City. Many employees are citizen residents and their opinions and comments are welcome here. I believe they have a unique perspective about what's going on in Wentzville. This comment is in response to yesterdays "A Strange evening in City Hall:"

Jerry Hillin is not what you seem to think he is. My guess is that Mayor Guiccione is opposing this ordinance because he is in fact, listening to the employees and knows that the majority of them would like to see someone knock this guy off the pedestal he has put himself on.

As far as him reporting directly to the Alderman, it may not be official right now, but anyone who pays attention to the meetings knows that Hillin is already reporting directly to them. He thinks he has them in his pocket, he brags about it, but in reality I think they've got him. Only time will tell.

You speak of his "policies" like he has done something wonderful. The reality is, he has slowed up city business, pissed off and made it nearly impossible for employees to do their jobs.

If you truly care about the welfare of the city, you will ask more questions and look further into what this guy is really doing. Policies can be good but not all people need the authority to be enforcing them.

—Anonymous

During my investigation into the purchasing department prior to the purchasing policy, I found that the job Mr. Hillin is doing was mandated by the Board of Aldermen because there was no accountability to the taxpayers how their money was spent on contracts and services.

The job the Aldermen have done in this area should have been done by our current Mayor and previous Mayors. It is the Mayor's responsibility to protect the citizens from overspending by staff in every department. Our Mayor-Elect should embrace the work done in this department as he will inherit a department that not only has a strong and sound policy but also an extremely ethical member of his staff who believes in following that policy and it's enforcement.

No one likes change and the department heads who's feet are now being held to the fire will soon learn that this is the new operating procedure and this process is the way it will be done. When they realize that, they will conform and move on with the projects and issues of their respective departments; working toward bettering the City. There are resentments and Mr. Hillin is being ostracized by fellow employees because he is following the mandate given him through the City Administrator by the Aldermen.

You mention that Alderman Guccione is "listening to the employees." He needs to focus more on the mandates put in place by the Aldermen and to direct his staff to follow their dictates.  If Mayor-Elect Guccione decides to fight the Aldermen and allow employees to do what ever they want to do, he will not only find himself frustrated, he will not be supporting those who put him in office or protecting taxpayer money.

Guccione needs to learn his role (as a Mayor) in our government and do the job he was elected to do, if he doesn't, he won't be Mayor long. I believe this will be a major problem for the next four years, Guccione will over-step his authority and be butting heads with a strong Board of Aldermen, he will get his toes smashed and lose the war. If he thinks his authority supersedes that of the Aldermen, he is heading for big trouble. Calling that "Executive Session" was his first experience in trying to exercise his perceived power to change the Alderman's authority over him, it failed, it will always fail. He is determined to destroy this City stirring up problems with false-hope and ill-advised promises to the employees and he hasn't even been sworn-in yet.

You also mention that he has "...pissed off and made it nearly impossible for employees to do their jobs." Employees in any business are told what to do and when to do it, if they disagree with this precept, they have the option of terminating their employment. If they decide to stay, they are being paid to do their job, not to fight the system or any new policy that may come along. My suggestion to them is to work with the new policy and if it is indeed interfering with the process of a department, call your Aldermen, they were elected to represent you as a citizen. Until the new policy is withdrawn, I urge you to put yourself in the Purchacing Manager's position, he can not change what he was directed to do and he needs the employees to support him in his efforts. There is a learning curve to any change and if employees really want to be an asset to Wentzville, they need to stop blaming Mr. Hillin. He is trying to implement his unsolicited and Board mandated situation, the Mayor cannot change it, if he tells you he can, he's lying to you.

Your last statement makes me wonder if a small number of employees know what "If you truly care about the welfare of the city," means. I am starting to believe that some of them think that the word "City" actually means the "employees". It encompasses much more than that. Employees make up approximately (one) 1 percent of the "City." Do they really believe that they should dictate to the other 99 percent? I believe our future Mayor does. If you are familiar with what's been going on with this issue, Mayor Lambi didn't like it either but if he had done his job, the Aldermen wouldn't have had to. Mr, Guccione will frustrate himself, create resentments among the employees and trying to fight it, but in the end he will be unable to change the ordinance because it's not his job to tell the Aldermen what to do. It's his job to preside over and keep decorum in City meetings, see that their mandates are followed by the staff, and not try dictating to the Aldermen.

Wentzville is blessed with a great staff and the nicest people (employees) I've ever had the privilege of meeting, I just hope they can assist Mr. Hillin and focus on what it is they are doing for the City. I believe Mr. Guccione will lead you down the garden path with promises that he cannot possibly keep. To Mr. Guccione think about this; "expectations are premeditated resentments," remember this when you begin your journey toward leading Wentzville, be a part of the solution, not the problem.