Residents press Dayton commissioners after $237,000 temporary‑staffing purchase order appears on calendar

The Dayton City Commission on July 8 approved the city manager's recommendations, which included a purchase order for temporary staffing to support seasonal public‑works and waste collection work.

During public comment, resident Ebony Hastings urged the commission to require greater transparency about temporary staffing contracts, pressing for disclosure of the specific positions those contracts fill, the cumulative amount the city has paid Crown Personnel Services over the prior three fiscal years, and whether the city has conducted an insourcing analysis comparing agency markup to the total cost of direct civil‑service hire. "Each contract like this on its own may be defensible. Taken together over years, they describe a city that has quietly stopped being an employer and become a contract administrator," Hastings said.

Ms. Dickstein of the city manager’s office responded that procurement is a civil‑service, HR and department‑director process; she said the city uses temporary agencies for high‑turnover, entry‑level positions so supervisors can evaluate candidates during a trial period and then promote successful workers into full‑time positions with benefits.

Commissioner Joseph moved to approve the city manager's recommendations; the motion was seconded and the commission voted in favor.

The action at the meeting records the approval of the manager's calendar items. Residents who asked for more disclosure said they expect a follow‑up from staff explaining what jobs are being filled by temp workers and the city's cumulative spend on agencies.