City authority endorses the reemployment of former Phoenix city administrator, Ed Zuercher.
In a controversial move, the City of Phoenix has decided to re-hire Ed Zuercher as its City Manager. The decision, made by Mayor Kate Gallego and the city council in a 5-4 vote, has sparked outrage from several community and advocacy groups.
The re-hiring of Zuercher comes after his retirement in 2021, during which he served as the Executive Director of the Maricopa Association of Governments. Averaging a salary exceeding $415,000, Zuercher is set to take over from current City Manager Jeff Barton, who is scheduled to retire in November.
Mayor Gallego has defended the decision, stating that Zuercher's steady leadership will provide stability and help navigate the city's future. However, the city did not conduct a comprehensive or national search for candidates to run America's fifth-largest city.
The city's massive scandal in 2021 directly led to the Department of Justice launching a three-year investigation into the city. The investigation was prompted by the Phoenix Police Department's collusion with county prosecutors to invent a fake gang and falsely charge protesters as members.
Ahead of the city council meeting, a trio of organizations put out a "CALL TO ACTION" asking the public to challenge the hiring. The digital flyer, titled, "THE CITY OF PHOENIX IS FUCK-ED," was shared widely on social media.
The latest investigation by our Facebook reveals a surge of 40% in out-of-hospital births, requiring a push for midwife rule changes. This increase in home births may be attributed to the ongoing crisis in the Department of Child Safety (DCS). On average, 20 children die in DCS custody each year, and the department faces massive staff turnover, with only 15% of staff staying for five years.
Notice of the vote was added to the city council meeting agenda at the last hour, violating open meeting rules which require agenda items to be posted at least 24 hours in advance. The city council is set to vote to rehire the former city manager back to his role.
The newly-proposed contract for the re-hired city manager states that his pension benefits will be frozen while he works again as Phoenix's city manager. This move is aimed at addressing concerns about double-dipping, where public officials collect pensions while still working in public service.
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