Rhino’s Ramblings - Alternate Realities In Mouseland

By Robert Thomas Opinion/Commentary

The story of the departure of former city manager Maryse Carmichael is a tale of two realities.

One where Carmichael’s departure was amenable and the other where she was none to politely handed a letter and unceremoniously ushered out the back door.

Which one is true, or rather you view as true, might well depend on your own personal view of the goings on in Mouseland.

in one scenario it’s one of singing bluebirds and blue skies. Just the things the cats in Mouseland dream about.

For Mayor James Murdock it’s the story being sold in a pushcart and eagerly swallowed by friendly media. It’s a version of nirvana where the City’s own version of Om is shouted from the rooftops.

The former city manager Carmichael was never fired. It was a mutual decision as Council had decided to take another direction. A direction which did not include Carmichael.

For the City’s biggest political cat i have the feeling he’s just hoping it will go away as quickly as it happened. Just a flash as the gunpowder was lit on the cannon at Fairford and Main.

But the big question in all of this is where is Carmichael? Why wasn’t she at the news conference where her departure was discussed?

And of course the biggest question to be asked if this was a mutual parting of the ways how much cheese is this going to cost Mouseland?

Is the City going to have to pay out her multi-year contract like we did with former city manager Garry McKay? And if we don’t have to pay out $400,000 - $600,000 really why?

Did Mouseland hire a dog to scare away the former city manager?

Or was the former city manager let go with cause? If so what does the city allege if anything?

In my opinion that’s the problem with Mouseland. The former city manager may have just been given a good annual performance review and then suddenly she’s gone. A tabby cat perfectly camouflaged to disappear into the savana foliage around city hall.

But there is another reality floating around the hallways of Mouseland.

It is the story of a heavily disguised firing by the seven cats on council. A personnel committee meeting and vote the evening before that unanimously sealed their lone employee’s fate.

In this scenario one of Mouseland’s councillors from the council of the seven cats came with a letter announcing to the city manager she was now the former city manager.

Accept it and resign or be gone either way.

At the same time a letter announcing the city manager being relieved of her duties was delivered to all employees.

A letter almost instantaneously leaked to the media.

It was mid afternoon.

Then at Mouseland’s back door about 6:30 there was a trip to the second floor and a return of personal items. The whole matter seemingly closed.

But why the move?

The hallways of city hall whisper council had one idea on an issue and the city manager went another with it as the reason for parting of the ways.

With that said will we ever know the truth about the former city manager’s departure?

In my opinion no we never will.

And will she get a buyout?

That’s an unknown and we will only know in a future budget long after the story no longer matters to Mouseland.

Which reality you believe - not just these two - is your choice and opinion.