Less than a day after the Worcester City Council completed its annual evaluation of City Manager Eric Batista, Council Vice Chairman Khrystian King released a lengthy written statement outlining additional concerns he said there was not enough time to raise during the public meeting.
The June 30 evaluation was the council’s only agenda item and largely consisted of praise for Batista’s leadership, financial management and communication, tempered by calls for improvements in areas such as homelessness, infrastructure and departmental accountability. King echoed many of those themes during the meeting but said afterward that time constraints prevented him from fully explaining his assessment.
“Due to the limited time available during the meeting on your evaluation, I would like to formally reiterate a few matters we have previously discussed,” King wrote in a letter addressed to Batista.
Among the concerns King argues warrant additional attention are the city’s potential legal liabilities, workplace culture within municipal government, the administration’s handling of the Holden lawsuit, recurring technology issues affecting council operations, implementation of police accountability reforms and the need for standardized performance metrics across city departments.
King wrote that he remains concerned about “the city’s vulnerability to pending and future legal liabilities” and said he continues to have concerns “regarding unhealthy and hostile work environments,” as well as what he described as “questionable hires” and “equally questionable involuntary separations from employment.”
Although the city charter limits the council’s role in personnel matters, King wrote that those issues remain relevant because they reflect on the city manager’s overall job performance.
King also questioned the administration’s handling of the Holden lawsuit, writing that he believes council recommendations regarding the state’s shared responsibility were not fully carried out and that communication with councilors was limited as key decisions were made.
- Related coverage: Council largely praises Batista, but presses for faster progress on homelessness, infrastructure
Beyond those concerns, King used the written statement to revisit a number of policy issues he has raised previously before the council. Among them were the future of the city’s co-response mental health program, staffing within the Department of Health and Human Services, implementation of recommendations from the Department of Justice and the city’s racial equity audit, support for the Commissions on LGBTQ+ Affairs and African American & Black Affairs, supplier diversity in city contracting, deferred maintenance of municipal buildings, planning for homelessness services, neighborhood engagement on public projects, and improvements to pedestrian safety, snow removal and pothole response.
King also reiterated his call for standardized performance measures across city departments, an issue he raised during Tuesday night’s evaluation.
“There are no standardized departmental performance metrics or consistent evaluations, preventing meaningful accountability,” he wrote.
King urged the administration to produce a public action plan with timelines addressing many of those issues, including restoring the city’s co-response mental health program, increasing health and human services staffing, advancing civilian review recommendations, developing a comprehensive shelter strategy, conducting a supplier diversity audit and creating standardized departmental performance measures. He also proposed establishing a city council oversight subcommittee to receive monthly progress updates.
Despite the criticisms, King’s written evaluation also praised several aspects of Batista’s leadership.
“The city manager brings operational insight, fiscal discipline, and a steady presence in our community,” King wrote. “He has demonstrated the ability to manage under tight constraints while remaining visible and accessible to residents and stakeholders.”
He also commended the city’s economic development staff, parks department, Department of Public Works and volunteers serving on municipal boards and commissions, while noting Worcester has maintained strong bond ratings despite ongoing financial pressures.
The council ultimately gave Batista generally favorable reviews during Tuesday night’s public evaluation, with members from across the political spectrum praising his work while identifying areas they believe require continued attention.
Editor’s note: The Worcester Guardian requested comment from City Manager Eric Batista’s office before publication. No response had been received as of publication time. This story will be updated if and when a response is provided.
