Senior city managers at city hall are working in “a culture of fear,” scared for their jobs and reluctant to give honest advice if they believe the Ford administration doesn’t want to hear it, former high-level employees say.

A report from the city’s ombudsman released Thursday revealed the administration has been inappropriately interfering with city staff. Former top-ranking Toronto employees say it goes far beyond interference.

“It didn’t happen to me because I didn’t stay long enough, but certainly I thought it could happen or had begun to happen,” said former deputy city manager Sue Corke, who resigned because of “values” in March 2011.

“There was a lack of civility,” said Corke. “The environment wasn’t as professional as what I had been used to in 30 years in the public sector. I’m used to a professional environment in which civil servants are provided with respect and where they provide the best advice to their political masters.”

Corke said the mayor’s staff was not always interested in advice that did not fall in line with their “right-wing ideology.”

“And that’s not me,” she said. “My social policy values are evidence-based, not ideological.”

From the time Rob Ford took office in December 2010, more than a dozen senior managers have walked — or been walked — out the door.

Another manager who left in the last year, who does not want to be named to protect former staff, said: “Clearly there is a lot of influence and persuasion and I’d even say bullying to have city staff do the will of the mayor’s office.”

The individual said staff is reluctant to stand up for logic. In February, the Ford administration orchestrated the firing of TTC general manager Gary Webster after the 37-year veteran continued to tout the advantages of above-ground light rail over subways.

The administration made the controversial move just weeks after ombudsman Fiona Crean warned council civil servants are afraid to speak their minds. Crean has advocated for new laws that would shield bureaucrats from politics.

“Obviously the pattern has been if you stand up you might get your head lopped off,” said the former manager who didn’t want to be named.

City manager Joe Pennachetti said any suggestion he has buckled under political pressure is completely false.

“I stand by every decision I’ve made as city manager. I’ve acted the same way under Mayor Ford as I did under David Miller,” he said.

“My position as city manager is to prepare appropriate recommendations to council completely separate from any influence from any mayor or councillor. I have always followed that protocol for the past 10 years under three different mayors. I have not changed that approach and never will. My integrity is number one and my professionalism will not be influenced by others.”

Ceta Ramkhalawansingh, who was the diversity manager and had worked at the city for three decades, retired just a few weeks into Ford’s term. She left for a variety of reasons, including apprehension about the new administration.

“I think people felt vulnerable. There was a lot of ducking that went on. People didn’t want to stand up and say anything. It was, ‘keep your head down.’ ”

Ramkhalawansingh said her friends still working at city hall report this is still the mantra a year and half later.

Since Ford’s victory, Corke and deputy city manager Richard Butts left within the first six months. Chief planner Gary Wright, fire chief Bill Stewart, Rosanna Scotti, director of strategic and corporate policy, and Gary Welsh, head of transportation services, left earlier this year. Bruce Bowes, the chief corporate officer, and Dave Wallace, the chief information officer, also left in recent months. Deputy city manager Cam Weldon will retire this fall.

And on Friday, the city confirmed Peter Crockett, the executive director of technical services, had resigned effective the end of October. He is the third senior manager in that department to leave in two weeks. John Bryson, manager of structures and expressways, and his boss Gordon MacMillan, director of design and construction, “decided to retire,” the chair of public works, Denzil Minnan-Wong said at the time.

Crockett said his departure is purely a career move and lifestyle choice. He will become the chief administrative officer in Oxford county, a place he and his wife would like to live. But councillors say it’s hard not to see a concerning pattern.

“What you’re seeing at the city is an unprecedented march out the door. You’ve seen it through retirings, you’re seeing it through firings, disappearances in the middle of the night,” said Councillor Adam Vaughan. “(For the Ford administration) if you don’t get the answer you want, it becomes a vendetta.”

No one suffered that more than Rita Davies, the executive director of culture, who abruptly left this summer. Sources say she was forced to “walk the plank” after relentless fighting against cuts to the arts.

Contacted at her Toronto home, Davies said: “I’ve come to an agreement with the city and that’s all I have to say.”

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Councillor Shelley Carroll said there is great concern among councillors and city staff that the effectiveness of the civil service will be damaged. She said vast amounts of expertise and institutional knowledge are being forced out the door.

“We do pretty competitively compensate people in these jobs. At a certain point in time compensation doesn’t quite do it,” she said. “You want to work in a professional atmosphere, you want to be respected and backed up as a professional and there’s some erosion on that score from the mayor’s office.”