Happy Anniversary, Wendy Stephanson: THE VOTER

We don’t hear much of city manager Wendy Stephanson.

Forgot recently to mark an important milestone in her career. On Aug. 23, it was one year since she was officially raised from an interim position and named city manager. An auspicious time for us to mark all the contributions she’s made in leading the city, no doubt. Perhaps I should send a card or something. It’s not too late.

Now, if someone could point out what her contributions have been, we can start to celebrate. Oh, you can’t think of anything? Oh dear. It’s not easy to focus on “not much of anything” as a point of pride.

There’s the city budget that she worked on to keep us on a solid fiscal footing. I hear she has some significant financial training and experience so that should be a good thing. Oh, that’s the financial situation that the mayor is saying you could drive a Mack truck or, perhaps more appropriately, the O-Train through? So nothing to celebrate there.

Well, maybe there’s a significant city project that’s going to make us the envy of the world or at least the country. What about Lansdowne? She must have been involved in ensuring it would benefit the city’s bottom line for years to come. Oh, it’s actually going to drain millions from the city coffers for years to come with no discernable benefit to the city? So I guess that won’t qualify.

Well, she’s been in that chair since former city manager Steve Kanellakos fell on his sword in November 2022 so she must have been giving Ottawa City Council good advice all that time to keep them on a positive path and build the city along with her team of managers. Oh, her team isn’t really a team since most of them are only there in an acting capacity? And the city can’t fill its vacancies because it’s known nationally as a place people don’t want to work? It’s known as a career killer?

And the advice and support to council? Oh, see the dire financial situation it’s in. Not much then to support any celebration of her work over the past year. Whatever that might have been.

Does she at least know where the light switch is so she can turn the lights out at city hall when it’s time?

The Voter is a respected community activist and long-time Bulldog commenter who prefers to keep her identity private.

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