Vancouver made mistake in firing its city manager: supporter

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson and his activist council have made a mistake in firing city manager Penny Ballem, a former high-ranking department manager said Wednesday. Peter Judd, who retired as the general manager of engineering in April, said the city needs a strong-willed and high-energy manager who can drive Vision Vancouver’s agenda and get the most out of staff. Ballem was capable of that, even though she set exceptionally high standards and sometimes clashed with her employees, he said.