Can we outsource City Hall?

Not that long ago, the city of Fresno employed air conditioning/heating technicians, carpenters, cement layers, janitorial staff, locksmiths and roofers subject to 40-hour workweeks and available for emergency calls.

Today these positions are nonexistent due to what the city calls “outsourcing, layoffs, tightening-our-belts and best interests for the city and taxpayer.” So now, if the condition of a city roof is suspect, a $200-per- hour consultant is called for an expert opinion and if necessary, a new roof is procured in a formal bid process.

Now plans to outsource city printing services are triggering red flags between staff and the city council. Why wasn’t this done with the other lost jobs?

I propose that the council and mayor vote to outsource their respective positions and replace themselves with a management-think-tank firm which specializes in municipal decisions. This firm would be 100 percent responsible for interfacing with all departments and making city policies.

If this could be done, Fresnans would have trained, responsible professionals from day one directing our city and we wouldn’t have to put up with elections and then untrained, inept, elected officials making the same incorrect decisions decade after decade after decade.

This story was originally published June 17, 2016 at 9:42 AM with the headline "Can we outsource City Hall?."