When Lydia Pettis Patton arrived as Roanoke’s interim city manager two months ago, she walked into a city hall on edge. 

Bob Cowell, the city’s top leader for seven years, had resigned against his will after his relationship with City Council members turned sour. The parks director had quit abruptly in January, accusing Cowell of fostering a culture of “passive aggression and intentional slight.” After an employee accused assistant city manager Brent Robertson of “verbally attacking” and “physically threatening” her, the way Cowell disciplined Robertson prompted another employee to urge Council to fire them both and to describe the city administration as “toxic and damaging.”

So in one of her first communications to city department heads, Patton had a pressing question: What were their dress codes?