Eugene Greenstein: Why Firing the City Manager Without Cause Creates Organizational Chaos

In this second conversation with Eugene Greenstein, we dig into what happens after the coup attempt - the lasting damage to city governance. Eugene doesn't sugarcoat it: "We've destroyed the working relationships in council. It's gone beyond a decision on a city manager." Drawing on his experience managing major organizational transitions in the auto industry, Eugene explains why bringing in an outsider as city manager creates "jump ball" chaos - employees who spent years building relationships and reputations suddenly face uncertainty about whether they're next on the chopping block. He makes a critical point about process: if Gary Machin wasn't meeting goals, council members would know because their constituents would be calling. "This is the fourth week in a row the garbage hasn't been collected" - those complaints would reach every council member. But that's not happening. Eugene also addresses the practicalities nobody's talking about: Who becomes interim city manager? How long will a national search take? What happens to major decisions facing the city - like the senior center renovation that needs careful financial analysis? When you break trust at the top through secret meetings and exclusionary tactics, you can't suddenly come together to make wise decisions on complex issues. Eugene's assessment of Mayor Rich is blunt: "I have no reason to believe Theresa knows how to manage her way out of a paper bag. She's a lawyer." Running a law firm isn't running a city. We elected council members to hire a city manager who meets their goals - not to become managers themselves. Eugene's final warning: this chaos makes it impossible for council to do the hard work our city needs.