Editor’s note: This article has been updated with a few notes to add clarity and context in response to comments from the City of Wilmington.
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WHQR) – When City Manager Becky Hawke came in, many employees said they had high hopes, particularly as she spoke about bringing up staff wages and listening to their needs. But a string of high-profile firings, a restructuring some felt was chaotic, and uncertainty about job security have led many employees to search for a new job. Current and former city staff who spoke to WHQR describe a disintegration of their morale and workplace culture. Numerous current and former staff members say they were and are looking to leave, and say they are heartbroken over the city’s current situation. Ultimately, over a dozen agreed to speak with WHQR on the condition of anonymity. While those sources represent just a small part of the city’s workforce of over 1,000 employees, they did come from a wide variety of departments and levels of seniority, and addressed many aspects of the city’s operation.
Hawke, on the other hand, paints a rosier picture. In an interview with WHQR, she addressed staff concerns and criticisms, though in some places she was limited by personnel laws and pending litigation — the city is facing at least two lawsuits, one directly tied to the city reorganization, the other is from before Hawke’s time, but includes claims about workplace culture and current employees that may hamper her ability to discuss certain issues…