Cary, North Carolina, to Consider Ombuds for City Employees

The small town east of Raleigh is looking at several organizational reforms including an Ombuds for employees, after a new report detailed exorbitant spending by town officials and a toxic workplace culture under former town manager. The business law firm of Womble Bond Dickinson produced a 272 page report that "includes recommendations intended to improve Town operations, the Town’s workplace environment, and the channels through which Town financial information is disseminated to the Town Council and Town residents." 

The penultimate recommendation urged consideration of an Ombuds and pointed the town to IOA standards: 

Recommendation Ten. The Town Council should direct the Town Manager to evaluate the costs, advantages, and disadvantages of establishing an Organizational Ombuds program. A third-party Organizational Ombuds program provides a safe space to talk about an issue or concern, explores options to help resolve conflicts, brings systemic concerns to the attention of the organization for resolution and helps illuminate good ideas and opportunities that may get lost. See https://www.ombudsassociation.org/ 

The current Cary Town Council has already started acting on some of the recommendations, but there is no news yet about the Ombuds. (Womble Bond Dickinson Report; Indy Week.)