Earlier this summer, the Post asked our readers what issues you wanted to hear candidates running for Shawnee Mayor and City Council to address leading up to the Nov. 7 election.
Based on that feedback, we developed a five-item questionnaire centering the issues most important to Shawnee residents.
Each day this week, we’ll publish the candidates’ responses to one question. (Note: We only asked for responses from candidates in contested races.)
Today, we’re publishing candidates’ responses to the following question:
Recent reporting by the Post and other media outlets has documented how dozens of city staffers have left Shawnee in recent months for jobs elsewhere, putting more pressure on the staff who have remained. How should the city maintain a highly qualified professional staff amid this revolving door of talent heading to other cities? Do you see this as a problem?
Below are the answers the Post received from candidates on this issue:
Mayor
Mike Kemmling
The premise of the question is not factually correct. The turnover rate in the city has remained within the 8.5 to 10.5% range for at least eight years, with the last full year — 2022 — being nearly identical to 2019.
Senior staff turnover, by position, has closely mirrored that of 2016 to 2019. The city currently has a highly qualified professional staff that we’ve curated from promotion from within as well as outside recruiting.
I have the utmost belief and faith in our staff heading forward.
Mickey Sandifer
I do see this as a problem. We have lost many high-level employees that have accepted jobs in surrounding cities, for less pay. I have personally known many of these employees. When they leave Shawnee, they take their knowledge and experience with them. The city then spends more money trying to hire new employees to fill their shoes.
An employee survey was done, and we know that salary and benefits are not the problem. The working environment between city staff and the city council is a problem. We need a city council that listens to and respects the advice of the highly trained staff employed to take care of the day-to-day needs of our city.
City Council Ward 1
Tammy Thomas (incumbent)
Per the question, there is not a revolving door of talented staff leaving, rather there is a leadership transition. The former city manager left on his own accord, admitting his vision for Shawnee did not align with the city council’s vision for Shawnee. The city manager’s role is to execute the vision of the city council. His departure along with the team he put into place is appropriate and not uncommon within private business or government.
When I took my seat on the council in 2020, I was told by the city manager there would be several retirements in the next four years (during my term). These retirements are a natural process in business. Per the facts from the city of Shawnee human resources, departures in Shawnee are not out of line with any of the other cities in Johnson County. In fact, with some of the positions that are open, staff have been promoted and are now serving in elevated roles and doing an outstanding job.
Our new City Manager Doug Gerber has more public and private business experience than the two previous city managers combined. With his hire, the city council brought the citizensof Shawnee greater leadership and breadth of knowledge in this role.
Sierra Whitted
Yes, I see our senior-level staff leaving at high percentages as a problem. That can be years or decades of knowledge and experience that leaves with them. There is also the possibility that it will impact our AAA bond rating.
We know Shawnee’s pay and benefits are competitive. If people are leaving for lower paying positions, then that is an indicator of a negative working environment. There seems to be a lack of respect for their expertise and effort that goes into managing a city. We even have a quote of a councilmember calling the staff “spoiled”. That is a problem for all levels of staff that work hard to bring high-quality services and amenities to our residents.
I want to bring cooperation and respect for our staff’s knowledge back. The city has hired them for their skills and they should be allowed to do their jobs. It will take work to repair that trust, but I want the current staff to know I’m willing to put in that work.
City Council Ward 2
Eric Jenkins (incumbent)
This question is a red herring. I do not understand how this concern was given credence. A very simple investigation into the claim that there has been excessive turnover of staff can be put to rest. I tasked our city Human Resources Director, Liz Bernard, to look at the turnover numbers and see if there was anything outside the norm. Based on her research, the numbers for turnover for the last eight years are very consistent. Normal turnover of staff in any given year is approximately 9%. Those average turnover numbers have remained consistent over the entire eight-year period.
It is noted that there were some high profile departures from staff. Our city manager and deputy city manager moved on to new positions elsewhere. That certainly is their prerogative to accept employment in another city. You should be aware that we are filling those positions with people from other cities in the metro that have eagerly sought positions in Shawnee. Our new city manager was deputy city manager in Topeka and our new assistant city manager is from Overland Park. It is time to put this bogus issue to rest. It was created as a campaign issue for the group that is currently running for city offices.
Jeanie Murphy
Staff turnover has definitely been a problem – a very big problem.
Current councilmembers claim that the staff turnover rate is normal, citing the percentage of total employees who have left. However, these staff leaders have left Shawnee over the past two years: city manager, deputy city manager, assistant city manager, finance director, communications manager, city attorney and an IT director who retired months earlier than planned. Several left for lower-paying jobs.
Anyone with experience in a structured organization can recognize that the loss of the leadership team has been far from typical.
Councilmembers and mayors serve four-year terms on a revolving basis. Staff provides continuity for the operation of city government over the long term. They possess the city’s institutional memory.
Staff leaders, such as the city manager, finance director and public works director, possess unique training and experience in their respective fields. Recognizing their expertise is crucial for the city’s success.
The city council and mayor should respect and acknowledge that expertise rather than frequently doubting or disregarding the staff’s recommendations.
The city can and should reduce staff turnover by recognizing the knowledge and skills of the staff. The council must begin to listen to the data developed by the staff and refrain from substituting their personal opinions for well-supported data. The council should also consider re-authorizing the city’s membership in the National League of Cities, which offers valuable training and opportunities for staff to interact with their peers from other cities;, as well as training for councilmembers.
City Council Ward 4
Laurel Burchfield
I am very concerned that we have lost at least six high-level (manager or director-level) city staff members in the past few years. This is not “business as usual,” as others have described our staffing situation. We are losing talent and institutional knowledge, and our current council’s dismissive attitude toward this problem tells me things will not improve without a change this November.
I respect our city staff, and if elected I will prioritize reestablishing trust and civility between the council and current staff, so that we don’t risk losing them, as well. The role of an elected official is to act with humility and acknowledge when others have expertise beyond their own. That is true leadership: being willing to listen and learn, to trust those who present knowledge, data and informed perspectives and to make the intentional decisions that make life better for all of our residents.
Our staff and our city deserve a council that can articulate their vision, not just for tomorrow but for future generations as well, and can take action in partnership with the staff we’ve hired to make our city run.
Megan Warner
I don’t believe the Post has “documented” this issue. They have simply generated reporting that intends to create this perception. To understand the picture more fully, I filed an open records request with Shawnee’s human resources department since I am not yet on the council and don’t have access to the data. The article mentions “dozens” of city staffers leaving. Historically, dozens of city staffers leave Shawnee’s employment each year ― and dozens of staffers are hired each year!
From 2018 to 2023, employee exits ranged from 28 to 35 each year, and new hires ranged from 25 to 39. If you want to mention the dozens of staff leaving the city, please also mention the dozens of staff being hired by the city. The article also mentions the employee vacancy rate in Shawnee doubled (3.65% to 6.16%) from 2021 to 2022. This was because the city council increased the number of budgeted positions from 329 to 341 (a 3.5% increase), which took time to fill. The vacancy rate this year has decreased to 3.80% again (as of September).
As with most cities, a large number of turnover happens in the public safety departments. Our hiring for police and fire has been substantial last year and this year, and I want those departments to know the council fully supports them.
Tomorrow, we will publish candidates’ responses to the next question:
The current city council has increasingly expressed skepticism about the city’s current comprehensive plan, Achieve Shawnee, particularly when it comes to multi-family developments. What should be Shawnee’s approach to multi-family development? Is there a place for these types of projects in Shawnee? And if so, where and under what circumstances should they be approved?
