Following the Workforce Management Audit, Loren Remillard, President and CEO of The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, discussed the audit findings concerning the inefficiencies within Winnipeg’s City Hall.

The Chamber’s position is direct and critical, emphasizing a long-standing bureaucratic problem that hampers business operations. Now, we’re calling for immediate, extensive changes to deliver a client-focused, performance-oriented environment at City Hall.

Cultivating a “Yes” Attitude Among Administration

The audit report revealed significant gaps in the city’s workforce management, ranging from an incomplete reporting structure to outdated administrative standards. It identified the need for a formal reporting process for strategic goals, updates to outdated administrative standards and an enhanced review process for existing standards.

The Chamber’s position is that the culture at City Hall is broken, often stuck on process over performance and lacks a client-service-oriented attitude. In his interview, Loren emphasized the need for a fundamental shift in the city’s administrative culture. “Winnipeg is a great city to do business in unless you need City Hall’s help. We need a ‘yes’ attitude from the administration—a client service-oriented approach that supports business and community needs.”

Creating A Return on Investment

Despite criticizing the current administrative state, Loren and The Chamber have confidence in political leadership. “The mayor was elected on a mandate for change and Winnipeggers voted for a ‘yes’ attitude at City Hall,” said Loren. However, we believe in the need for the administration to align with this vision and deliver tangible results.

While advocating for giving the administration a chance to address the audit’s recommendations, The Chamber stresses the importance of setting clear expectations and deadlines. “We’re allowing them a timeframe to make changes to show Winnipeggers that for the billions they invest in this organization, they’re getting the maximum return on that investment.” said Loren.

To hear the full interview, hit this link to Global News’ website, change the date to June 12, and time to 3 p.m.

The interview begins around 8 minutes and 36 seconds in.