Revere is one of only three cities or towns in the state without a municipal HR department. Creating an HR office also would fall in line with Revere’s Mayor Brian Arrigo’s campaign promise to make city hall more professional.
“It is critical to have an effective human resources system,” Mary Aicardi of Collins Center for Public Management at the University of Massachusetts, said at a city council meeting last month. “This is a city with a $170 million budget and there isn’t one person to handle human resources. Also, the lack of policies are woeful.”
Liability also is a concern with no HR department. Aicardi noted that one community had to payout a $4 million settlement after an employee lawsuit.