Everyday Ethics for Local Officials The Ethics of Council-Staff Teamwork

摘要

I am a newly elected city council member, and I ran on a platform of "taking care of the basics" in our city. Being action oriented, I requested a meeting with our public works director immediately after I took office to discuss some concerns my neighborhood has had about the condition of our streets, I think this is a situation that needs addressing now. During the meeting, I noticed she was very uncomfortable. Furthermore, I got frustrated because she refused to commit to any plan of action to address my concerns. I lost my temper when she suggested my concerns should be discussed with her boss, the city manager. The public works director has worked for the city for more than 10 years and should be able to respond to my concerns competently. Frankly this is the kind of nonresponsiveness that I ran against in my campaign. What gives?