Bing Losing Another High-Profile Aide: Tom Lijana

**7miledog** · July-25-11, 05:29 PM

Sorry, I could't find the other Bing staffing-related threads with a quick search. Feel free to move this one...

http://www.freep.com/article/2011072...xt|FRONTPAGE|s

Mayor Dave Bing is losing another member of his staff with the resignation of Finance Director Tom Lijana, sources confirmed this morning.

Lijana is among a number of resignations the mayor soon will announce, according to officials familiar with an effort to restructure the mayor’s office.

It’s unclear why Lijana quit. The mayor’s office declined to comment.
The mayor and his staff often complimented Lijana for his major role in reducing the city’s $155-million deficit

**Det_ard** · July-25-11, 05:40 PM

It's sad to think how much farther along Detroit would be if it had competent leadership.

EFM, anyone?

**Zacha341** · July-25-11, 07:14 PM

In a minute, jus-sa minute at this rate ---

--- !

Originally Posted by Det_ard

EFM, anyone?

**Fnemecek** · July-25-11, 07:30 PM

I saw this article earlier. It mentions that Mr. Lijana's departure is tied to an impending new organization chart and new responsibilities for mayoral appointees.

The things that I wonder about are:

When will this new organization chart be rolled out?
Will this be the kind of reorganization of Detroit's beaucracy that we desperately need?
Or will it be another in a long string of attempts to rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic?

Only time will tell on this one.

lilpup · July-25-11, 07:37 PM

I imagine that this particular position has been pretty stressful. It wouldn't take long to start burning out someone. Bing's been in office over two years now and the place hasn't crashed yet.

**Fnemecek** · July-25-11, 08:09 PM

Define "crashed."

**English** · July-25-11, 08:16 PM

Originally Posted by Det_ard

It's sad to think how much farther along Detroit would be if it had competent leadership.

Agree.

EFM, anyone?

Totally disagree. Wholesale disenfranchisement is not the answer.

**Zacha341** · July-25-11, 08:43 PM

Agreed, we've already seen how successful EFM's have already been......

Originally Posted by English

....Wholesale disenfranchisement is not the answer.

**7miledog** · July-25-11, 08:48 PM

Info on the new organization from Det News: http://www.detnews.com/article/20110...top-city-staff

Everything under Lewis....

lilpup · July-26-11, 05:48 AM

Originally Posted by Fnemecek

Define "crashed."

Mainly receivership, which we've been told has been coming for the last ten years or so.

**Locke09** · July-26-11, 10:12 AM

On the other hand, residents might define "crashed" as the 15% increase in homicides, haphazard EMS service, a bus system leaving persons waiting for hours in a heatwave because the air conditioning on the buses doesn't work, etc., etc., etc.

**Hypestyles** · July-26-11, 12:27 PM

bizarre.. are these positions being refilled, or will they stay vacant? will top level layoffs help with the deficit?

lilpup · July-26-11, 03:48 PM

Originally Posted by Locke09

On the other hand, residents might define "crashed" as the 15% increase in homicides, haphazard EMS service, a bus system leaving persons waiting for hours in a heatwave because the air conditioning on the buses doesn't work, etc., etc., etc.

If that's the case the place "crashed" decades ago.

**gazhekwe** · July-26-11, 04:48 PM

Everybody is so spoiled. Buses didn't even have AC in the 60s and before. People packed onto them anyway and got where they were going.

**Locke09** · July-26-11, 06:28 PM

Originally Posted by gazhekwe

Everybody is so spoiled. Buses didn't even have AC in the 60s and before. People packed onto them anyway and got where they were going.

I've been on buses without AC before, but they ran more frequently then and had less chance of being packed with people during a heatwave. The windows and the air vent in the roof were opened. It was miserable, but survivable. In any event, the people did not make the decision to hold the buses, the City did.

Back to Bing's org structure. So everyone reports to Lewis now? Does this mean Lewis' is the only voice he will hear? If everyone is reporting to Lewis and he is responsible for everything, then why do we need a mayor?

I'm afraid Bing still fails to get how to properly structure an org chart for an organization as large as the City. He needs a cabinet: COO, CFO, CIO, Chief of Staff, Public Safety "Czar". Divide the departments under those cabinet members in a way that makes sense. Right now he has agencies that report to the COO, who reports to the Chief of Staff, who reports to Bing. Too many layers of bureaucracy, from a businessman.

**firstandten** · July-26-11, 09:06 PM

Originally Posted by Locke09

Back to Bing's org structure. So everyone reports to Lewis now? Does this mean Lewis' is the only voice he will hear? If everyone is reporting to Lewis and he is responsible for everything, then why do we need a mayor?

I'm afraid Bing still fails to get how to properly structure an org chart for an organization as large as the City. He needs a cabinet: COO, CFO, CIO, Chief of Staff, Public Safety "Czar". Divide the departments under those cabinet members in a way that makes sense. Right now he has agencies that report to the COO, who reports to the Chief of Staff, who reports to Bing. Too many layers of bureaucracy, from a businessman.

I'm with you. It looks like Lewis is the gatekeeper who will filter the message to the mayor. The appointees better make sure Lewis likes them or they are toast.

What's funny about this is that this org struture only formalizes what Bing was already doing with Dumas.

A true leader in my opinion must be able to listen to dissenting voices in his administration. A dissenting voice is not necessarly a sign of disloyally.

However listening to all sides of a problem is not our mayor's management style. This is what he knows, for he ran his companies the same way.