City Budget Manager On Administrative Leave
A high-ranking city employee has been placed on administrative leave.
?It was surprising, but that is really under the mayor’s purview to make those decisions. We have become familiar with that over the last several months,? said City Council President Pro Tem Jan Martin.
Colorado Springs Budget Manager Lisa Bigelow is the employee that has been placed on paid administrative leave.
City Council members tell me they got an email from Mayor Steve Bach?s chief of staff on Friday afternoon, but they don’t know the reason behind the move. That lack of knowledge is something new for council since the shift to a strong mayor form of government.
?We were much more involved in the conversation related to city staff under the city manager form of government,? said Martin.
Bach said he couldn?t comment on why Bigelow was placed on paid administrative leave because the issue is a personnel matter.
Bach has made some sweeping changes in city staff since he took office. December 2011 Bach announced staff changes that included shifting Steve Cox from chief of staff to chief of economic vitality, and hiring Laura Neumann as the new chief of staff.
The mayor has the right to make these changes because it is part of the powers that were granted in strong mayor form of government vote into place by the people.
