Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the former Obama administration chief of staff, has some interesting things to say in the latest Fortune:
About 80% of the budget is employee costs, so it would seem you’ve got to lose some people. How do you make those decisions?
I’ve eliminated 500-plus positions permanently — not left them vacant — permanently. I asked every one of my commissioners, “What is your mission? Don’t tell me it’s what we did last year, and because of inflation I need 2% more. Just tell me what you do. Now, does your organization chart, and who you have, fulfill that mission, and who’s not essential to it?” So the city taxpayer has more relevance than the city payroll, which in Chicago is a whole new mindset.
