Photo by Dana O'Connor
Key Points
Dear Residents of Apopka,
Last week, I shared with you some of the work taking place during our hiring pause and why reorganizing the City of Apopka is so important to our future.
I talked about our Strategic Plan, the need for clear lines of responsibility and accountability, better communication between departments, and making sure we have the right people in the right places.
This week, I want to talk about the most important part of that organizational chart: The people.
Strong organizations are not built by organizational charts alone. They are built by employees who understand the mission, take pride in their work, and know that their experience and ideas matter.
They know where things are working. They know where communication breaks down. They know which processes take too long or create unnecessary frustration. They also know what we are doing well and what we need to protect as we make changes.
I want those voices to be part of this process.
When I talk about reorganization, I don’t want our employees to immediately think that means eliminating jobs or simply moving people around. If all we accomplish is changing titles and moving boxes on an organizational chart, then we haven’t accomplished much.
This is about building a better organization.
We need a clear chain of command so employees know where to go when a decision needs to be made. We need departments communicating with each other instead of operating in silos. We need workloads and responsibilities that make sense. And we need employees to have the tools, support and leadership necessary to do their jobs successfully.
But there is another part of this that is just as important to me.
I want the City of Apopka to be a great place to work.
As mayor, my goal isn’t only to make Apopka a community where people are proud to live, raise their families and build their businesses. I also want the people who work for the City of Apopka to be proud of where they work.
When an employee puts on an Apopka shirt or uniform in the morning, I want them to be proud to wear it. When someone signs into their computer to start their day or begins another work week, I want them to feel good about being part of this organization.
Whether you work in Public Works, Utilities, Parks and Recreation, Finance, Community Development, Police, Fire, Human Resources, Communications or anywhere else within our city, you should understand that what you do matters.
Every employee plays a role in the service our residents receive.
But pride in an organization isn’t something leadership can simply demand from employees. We have to build a workplace that earns it.
That means treating employees with respect. It means communicating with them instead of allowing rumors to fill the gaps. It means recognizing people who are doing good work. It means giving employees opportunities to grow and develop. It also means setting clear expectations and holding people accountable when those expectations aren’tmet.
Accountability and supporting employees are not opposites. I believe support only comes when accountability is present.
We can expect a high level of performance while also giving employees the leadership, training and resources they need to meet that expectation.
Change will not always be easy, and not everyone will agree with every decision we make.
Leadership means listening to different perspectives, gathering the information, and then being willing to make the decisions necessary to move the organization forward.
Our employees deserve to understand where we are going and why.
This process is also not about looking backward and finding people to blame for problems that may have existed for years. Apopka has changed tremendously, and the demands placed on our city government have changed with it.
This is about where we go from here.
As we continue reviewing the organization, there may be responsibilities that move. Departments may need to work more closely together. We may find employees whose experience and talents can be better utilized somewhere else. We may also determine there are positions we need to fill or areas where additional expertise is necessary.
Those decisions should be made thoughtfully and for the right reasons.
That is exactly why the hiring pause was necessary. It gives us an opportunity to determine what we need before we simply start filling vacancies.
As mayor, I also understand that accountability starts with me. I am responsible for setting the direction of this organization and making sure the team we put in place can carry out the priorities we have established for Apopka.
But no mayor, chief, director or organizational chart can accomplish that alone.
It takes all of us.
I want to build a city government where departments work together, leadership listens, employees are supported, expectations are clear and everyone understands who we ultimately work for: the residents of Apopka.
If we can create that kind of organization, we will not only provide better service to our residents, we will create a workplace where our employees are proud to say: “I work for the City of Apopka.”