Here’s what YOU can do
* Write or call City Councilors, City Manager, Department Heads (contact list w/ email addresses attached)
* Write a letter to the editor of our local papers - deadline is always Monday @ noon (contact information attached)
* Attend our rally prior to the City Council meeting on April 6th
* Make signs for the rally
* Encourage your friends and neighbors to take action too
* Attend the City Council meeting on April 6 (Let us know if you’d be will to speak)

Overview and Talking Points
1 On February 24th five longtime employees were confronted by the City Manager, Asst. City Manager and Human Resources Director, told they were being laid off and given five minutes to collect their things before being swiftly escorted out of the building. They weren’t allowed to say goodbye to their fellow employees, many of whom they’d known for decades.
This behavior is in contrast to neighboring cities holding town meetings to figure out how to stretch the budget given a shrinking tax base.
The laid off employees are listed in order of their years of service to the City of South Portland:

41 YEARS OF SERVICE: David Gaudet, Public Works Operations Manager

15 YEARS OF SERVICE: Monica Dubay, Library Clerk

2.  The City Manager admitted that this process went “against everything I believe in.” He’s repeatedly stated that “With the demand we are experiencing for all municipal services, cutting services which would penalize the public and their needs was not an option,” therefore the layoffs would not affect front line services.
To see that front line services have been affected, you need only try to visit the Young Adult Room at the SoPo Public Library. You will find the door locked and parts of the Young Adult collection distributed around the main floor. What you won’t find is many teens enjoying it. While the immediate front line impact of the other layoffs may be a little harder to see, there is no doubt the need to reassign duties among the remaining staff will result in diminished services to us, the residents and taxpayers.

3.  There seems to be a pattern of poor communication, lack of collaboration, and abuse of power among some of the departments where the layoffs occurred.
No departments or employee groups were prepared for these layoffs and none have been consulted about plans for managing the work load since the layoffs. Additionally, no one has addressed the decrease in morale or the fear and lack of trust that exists amongst employees citywide.

Goals: Truth, Transparency, Reconsideration and Accountability

1. We need people to speak out and speak up so that we can hold our elected officials—and its employee (City Manager and department heads)—accountable for these actions.
2. We need an explanation of why other options were not pursued prior to the layoffs and why this was done before the public (or staff) had a chance for input on the budget and process.
3. We need the Council to do more than move on; we need it to rethink this decision and back up.
4. We need an accounting of why there appears to be no “post-plan” since the layoffs.

Justice is in our hands. It’s up to the citizens to demand accountability.

Thank you for your time.

IMPORTANT: We are attempting to quantify the number of contacts made to city leadership so we can track the turnout. Please let me know if you are able to do any of the above calls to action.

Sincerely,
Angela Griffiths   .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Vicky Smith   .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)