City of Aledo City Hall - TOXIC workplace?

Total Staff turnover since Mayor Nick Stanley and City Manager Noah Simon has taken over:

As of FEB 26, 2025: 24 (that we know of)

The Names:

1. Chris - WWTP Supv

2, Dalton - WWTP - Supv

3. Gretchen - PWD/Engineer

4. Kristian - Assistant PWD

5. Kari - Accountant

6. Karen - UB Clerk

7. Cliff - Fire Marshall/Code Enforcement

8. Gabby - UB Coordinator

9. Todd - IT Contractor

10. Nathan - Business Development

11. Shawn - PWD Contractor

12. Erica - Parks and REC

13. PWE #1

14. PWE #2

15. Letty - Front Office

16. Deana - City Secretary

17. Josh - Assistant City Manager

18. Whitney - Communications

19. Ryan - PWE

20. Amy - Permits

21. Jennifer - CFO

22. Amber - CFO 

23. Blythe - UB Coordinator

24. Pricilla Brown - UB Coordinator 

FEB 26, 2025

Added Pricilla Brown to the list, moved the complete list of names as they should not be forgotten for there service to the citizens of Aledo. 

FEB 20, 2025

RNS receives communication from former City of Aledo Fire Marshall/Code Enforcement - Cliff Moore . He confirms the TOXICITY at Aledo City Hall. Alleges he was pushed to harass the former Bistro Restaurant (now Press Cafe) via Code Enforcement, Aledo is corrupt and more. His letter can be found here. 

FEB 19, 2025

CONFIRMED - The Director of Public Works has resigned. Updating the TOXIC work place page. 

FEB 18, 2025

A source that wishes to remain anonymous has shared with RNS that the Director of Public Works has resigned and last day is MAR 5, 2025. Working to confirm.

FEB 04, 2025

UPDATE - Blythe has contacted RNS, her letter and email here - more to come. 

We have a copy of the resignation letter for Blythe (Utility Billing Manager) City of Aledo. 

RNS has reported about the TOXICITY of the workplace at city hall. The concerns surrounding City Manger Noah Simon and Mayor Nick Stanley. These issues have been presented to the City Council at City Council meetings with proof to the city council. No action has been taken from City Council. As per the resignation letter: 

I understand that the Mayor and City Council addressed some of the topics mentioned above during the recent council meeting. It appears that, without consulting any current city employees, the decision was made to commend Noah and Luis while overlooking legitimate concerns. 

At least 23 staff/contractors (that we know off) have resigned and many have reached out to council asking for help. Instead of assistance council commends City Manager Noah Simon. 

What we want to know is what does City Manager Noah Simon have on Mayor Nick Stanley?

Why has city council not taken action? We believe they cannot as they are puppets for the mayor. He calls the shots, by law he does not have that power but City Manager Noah Simon gives it to him. Hence the reason for not firing him and giving him a commendation? Surely no one is that disconnected?

A copy of the letter can be found here.  

FEB 03, 2025

Another one is gone! More details tomorrow. 

Multiple sources are reporting that the Utility Billing Clerk (Blythe) walked out. Pay VERY close attention to your water bill. Adding her below to the list, this brings the total to 23. 

JAN 31, 2025

CONFIRMED - Jennifer-CFO is leaving city hall. 

This reminded us about the former CFO - Amber, she left last year under controversy. Staff had noticed and reported what they thought was a odd relationship between Amber and City Manager Noah Simon. They have stated that they witnessed the two of them riding to and from to work together (even on her first day). Almost always having lunch together and riding together on "business trips". Also reported, bills where not being paid on time. The situation was so bad that even the electric and internet where disconnected for non payment. Credits cards had not been reconciled in over a year. 

Adding all to the count below bringing the total to 22. 

JAN 30, 2025

Just got word that Amy from permits left  some time ago. There is also rumor a director is leaving FRI. If the rumor is true that will put the number of staff terminated or resigned under this administration at 20. More to come......

JAN 27, 2025

RNS learns that two additional staff members have left the City of Aledo City Hall while under the administration of City Manager Noah Simon and Mayor Nick Stanley. This brings the total to 19 (that we know of). The latest to resign are Whitney (communications) and Ryan (Public Works) RNS obtained a copy of his resignation letter that was sent to council. (posted below). We believe that this is at least the FOURTH Occassion that the Aledo City Council has been notified about the TOXIC work environment. There are now accusations that the City of Aledo takes staff almost daily to the Press Cafe, drink alcohol while on the clock and we the tax payers pay for the meal. Here is a copy of his letter.

We should be extremely concerned that the Aledo City Council knows and has not taken any steps to protect the staff. Why? It is our VERY strong opinion that Council allows the City Manager to conduct himself in this manner because the City Council and Mayor have complete control over the City Manager Noah Simon, he does what ever they want him to do. No other City Manager would allow a Mayor to have this much power. Our City, by law, should be ran by the City Manager and not Mayor Nick Stanley. By our Home Rule Law, the ONLY power our Mayor has is to run the City Council Meetings, vote in the event of a tie and to be a public figure of our city. He also appointed himself President of the AEDC (Aledo Economical Development Commission) and gave himself a $2,000,000 (2 million dollars) a year budget. He is supposed to be a hood ornament of the city and shake hands/kiss babies. Our City Manager gives him power that he should NOT have. 

DEC 12, 2024

On THU, NOV 21, 2024 City of Aledo City Manager - Noah Simon terminates the employment of the Assistant City Manager. His letter to Mayor and Council can be found here.

We should also point out that 2 months prior, after 13 years of service, City Secretary Deana Mc Mullen resigned. 

Over the past 24 months RNS has received numerous reports of a TOXIC work environment at Aledo city hall. Additionally as stated in the past, numerous former staff members have contributed to the data published on this site. 

Some examples of TOXIC work place: 

1. Employee came in on his day off and printed off a concert ticket. Employee was written up for using city property for personal use. (a single piece of paper)

2. Favoritism and inequities where rampant. Example, one staff member was given more bereavement time off then another despite what written policy dictated. 

3. The City manager created a environment in which he had to approve everything.  There where times in which a decision needed to be made. A call and or text would be made to the City Manager. He would not respond to either. A decision would be made, the City Manager would reprimand you for making a decision without his input. 

4. The City Manager would hold you accountable for situations that either you had no control over or happened prior to your employment with the city. 

5. The City Manager instructed staff to not speak to other staff, vendors or residents. 

6. Day to day staff did not know what was going to happen one day to the next. Staff walks on eggshells in fear that they will upset the City Manager. 

7. Communication from the City Manager was minimum. You knew something was not right when he would not answer your emails and instead want to speak to you in person if he even spoke to you. 

8. If the City Manager wanted you to quit, he would take your responsibilities away and place you on a written corrective action plan. This seems normal, but he would never discuss the plan, progress or any corrections needed. Instead you would be terminated and in your file he would add that you did not follow the plan.

9. Department heads where never given there approved budget. When departments heads asked for them they would be told "I will work on that" but he would never produce the budget for them. 

This list goes on.......

Staff/Contractors that have either been fired, resigned or pushed out since Mayor Nick Stanley has taken leadership:

UPDATE: 2 Additional employees leave, Whitney (Communications) and Ryan (Public Works).

UPDATE: 1 additional person has left - Amy from Permits

UPDATE: Jennifer - CFO leaving City of Aledo. Also including former CFO Amber from earlier in the year that we forgot about. 

UPDATE: Blythe, the utility billing clerk has walked out. 

As of JAN 31, 2025 - Total 22 (that we know of)

After the Assistant City Manager was terminated, he sent a letter to the Aledo City Council. The letter and a statement from him is posted below. Interestingly his concern's are in line with what we a RNS have been posing about the City Manager - Noah Simon and the work environment at the City of Aledo. We at RNS doubt that there will be any change as the Council and City Attorney have been notified on numerous occasions of this repeated pattern of behavior. 

At this point we fell comfortable in making the statement that the issues at the City of Aledo go much deeper than the City Manager Noah Simon and Mayor Nick Stanley. Now you can say that they City Attorney and City Council are as much to blame as none have taken any action to protect the staff and citizens from the tyranny of the City Manager and Mayor.

UPDATE

Unfortunately the City of Aledo sent our request for this letter to the State Attorney General. This is an attempt to block this letter from being seen by the public. It seems that the City Manager - Noah Simon and Mayor Nick Stanley are once again abusing the use of tax payer funds to cover their negative and abusive behavior. They are effectively weaponizing the State Attorney General to keep documents that show there true behavior from being seen by the public. To add insult to injury, we the tax payers are covering the bill. 

More to come......

#DefendAledo #RulesForTheeAndNotForMe