By Anne Scheck
ANALYSIS: IS POLITICS PLAYING A ROLE IN CITY GOVERNMENT?
Preface: As the Linking Letter enters its sixth year as a publication focused almost exclusively on Independence city government, some have begun to question whether the political divide outside the Independence Civic Center is being seen in its council chambers, too. The last election saw the emergence of political action committees for non-partisan seats on the city council, which spread messages in direct mailings. At that time, in what seems to be the most popular editorial to date submitted to Trammart News, a citizen concerned about the growing divisiveness wrote an editorial, prompting wide affirmation.
Trammart News now is taking a look at a council vote that seems to have renewed the debate, once more. And, with the permission of the editorial writer from those many months ago, her commentary is running again (at the bottom of this news analysis).
No volunteer is likely to work harder than your elected city councilors, who receive no pay for the hours of work to stay abreast of matters coming before their decision-making body. Tomorrow night, at 6 pm, they will face a full agenda that will include the annual city audit, revisions to the city development code and a plan for infrastructure changes to manage wastewater. So, perhaps it is prescient to examine an event that has now been brought up several times over the course of recent council meetings – as the selection process for a new city manager gets underway.
INDEPENDENCE -- A city council vote that rejected an applicant for the planning commission was revisited once again at the last city council meeting by two city councilors who voiced strong criticism of the decision. It was the third time in as many months that an allegation of political partisanship has been raised.
Councilors Shannon Corr and Kathy Martin-Willis both said they believed the thwarted appointment of Kelie McWilliams was influenced by politics. Late last year, McWilliams had been defeated in her bid for appointment to the planning commission by a 3-2 councilor vote.
McWilliams also had vied for a seat on the city council during the last election. She lost to City Councilor Sarah Jobe.
When McWilliams’ application for the city’s planning commission came before the city council for approval, Councilor Dawn Hedrick-Roden recounted a number of campaign-finance complaints that McWilliams had filed with the state against certain local candidates, which were still pending.
Councilors Jobe and Tom Takacs joined her in voting against McWilliams’ appointment.
At the most recent meeting, both Corr and Martin-Willis cited a letter about the issue from a former city manager David Clyne, which was read in Clyne’s absence at the city council meeting several weeks ago. He wrote, in part, that the vote on McWilliams was a political one which “has no business being part of the council’s decision-making.”
In statements made to Trammart News, one long-time citizen countered that the vote was a typical example of democracy in action, and “you get what you get.” Another wanted to know why Clyne’s letter had been verbally read when comments to the council generally are received and saved as written information, not read aloud, if the individual isn’t there in person.
Asked about his letter, Clyne responded: “It is really a shame to see two of the newest councilors using a political litmus test to determine whether someone should be able to serve as a volunteer on a city committee.”
So far, the video of the latest meeting has received 250 views -- opinions on the matter have ranged from disappointment over the issue to hope that the city council will continue to include diverse viewpoints and remain committed to airing disagreements.
At the last meeting, Mayor John McArdle seemed to counter Councilor Hedrick-Roden’s concerns about McWilliams’ post-election campaign-complaint filings. “People are entitled to, if they feel rules are not appropriate, to appeal to the regulators to evaluate those campaign finance rules,” he said.
Mayor McArdle also stated that he works “really hard” to find the right people for boards and commissions. When asked after the meeting if he was aware that certain residents have reported that their attempts for voluntary service never made it past the initial screening process, McArdle explained that it is his role – as spelled out by city policy – to decide who “moves forward’ for a vote.
Erin Hill is one of those who said she was disappointed by her inability to serve. She had submitted applications for “at least two” volunteer spots on commissions or committees but was not contacted for any of them, she said.
Hill, a descendant of Independence’s founder Henry Hill, added that she was never informed of the reason she was passed over to fill a vacancy. “Why? That’s what I would really like to know,” Hill said. “I love this town. I grew up here.”
Gary Van Horn, who served on the city’s budget committee had predicted at the time he served a few years ago that he wouldn’t be reappointed. His earnest inquiries during the budget-planning process often were seen as unwelcome, he explained.
A short time after making that forecast, he received a letter thanking him for his volunteer service, without renewing his position. "I think I just asked too many questions," Van Horn said.
Asked about these two individuals, the mayor said he didn’t recall Hill and he refrained from commenting on Van Horn.
PAST EDITORIAL from Ingrid Cooper
by special request of Trammart News
This November, I am very glad to see a full slate of citizens willing step up and run for mayor and for council positions in our local town of Independence, where my husband and I have lived for over 40 years, as well as in Monmouth, and Independence. Why?
A competitive race is healthy. It brings in fresh perspectives. It challenges the status quo. It gives us a choice to vote for who can best serve our community:
To strengthen who we are,
To make sure we have a solid foundation for our essential services,
To make sure each and every person is respected, heard, welcomed, and treated equally at city halls and with all city services.
To broaden outreach to all citizens and community members and all neighborhoods,
To use our funds wisely and responsibly,
To encourage and support our local businesses,
To move forward responsibly.
Local city elections are non-partisan and non-paid. Too often, over the years, the same people are elected year after year, simply because no one else is willing to run. In this climate, those serving for a long time, often end up with tunnel vision, thinking they know what’s best for the town.
I celebrate the interest of many talented, qualitied people who are willing to step up and serve and ask questions and listen and dig into the issues and bring fresh ideas. This makes our towns stronger to welcome competition and to bring in new voices to serve our community.
And, most importantly, vote during this election and every election. Remember to vote for mayor and council members. You can make a difference with your vote. It is an important right.
ANALYSIS: IS POLITICS PLAYING A ROLE IN CITY GOVERNMENT?
Preface: As the Linking Letter enters its sixth year as a publication focused almost exclusively on Independence city government, some have begun to question whether the political divide outside the Independence Civic Center is being seen in its council chambers, too. The last election saw the emergence of political action committees for non-partisan seats on the city council, which spread messages in direct mailings. At that time, in what seems to be the most popular editorial to date submitted to Trammart News, a citizen concerned about the growing divisiveness wrote an editorial, prompting wide affirmation.
Trammart News now is taking a look at a council vote that seems to have renewed the debate, once more. And, with the permission of the editorial writer from those many months ago, her commentary is running again (at the bottom of this news analysis).
No volunteer is likely to work harder than your elected city councilors, who receive no pay for the hours of work to stay abreast of matters coming before their decision-making body. Tomorrow night, at 6 pm, they will face a full agenda that will include the annual city audit, revisions to the city development code and a plan for infrastructure changes to manage wastewater. So, perhaps it is prescient to examine an event that has now been brought up several times over the course of recent council meetings – as the selection process for a new city manager gets underway.
INDEPENDENCE -- A city council vote that rejected an applicant for the planning commission was revisited once again at the last city council meeting by two city councilors who voiced strong criticism of the decision. It was the third time in as many months that an allegation of political partisanship has been raised.
Councilors Shannon Corr and Kathy Martin-Willis both said they believed the thwarted appointment of Kelie McWilliams was influenced by politics. Late last year, McWilliams had been defeated in her bid for appointment to the planning commission by a 3-2 councilor vote.
McWilliams also had vied for a seat on the city council during the last election. She lost to City Councilor Sarah Jobe.
When McWilliams’ application for the city’s planning commission came before the city council for approval, Councilor Dawn Hedrick-Roden recounted a number of campaign-finance complaints that McWilliams had filed with the state against certain local candidates, which were still pending.
Councilors Jobe and Tom Takacs joined her in voting against McWilliams’ appointment.
At the most recent meeting, both Corr and Martin-Willis cited a letter about the issue from a former city manager David Clyne, which was read in Clyne’s absence at the city council meeting several weeks ago. He wrote, in part, that the vote on McWilliams was a political one which “has no business being part of the council’s decision-making.”
In statements made to Trammart News, one long-time citizen countered that the vote was a typical example of democracy in action, and “you get what you get.” Another wanted to know why Clyne’s letter had been verbally read when comments to the council generally are received and saved as written information, not read aloud, if the individual isn’t there in person.
Asked about his letter, Clyne responded: “It is really a shame to see two of the newest councilors using a political litmus test to determine whether someone should be able to serve as a volunteer on a city committee.”
So far, the video of the latest meeting has received 250 views -- opinions on the matter have ranged from disappointment over the issue to hope that the city council will continue to include diverse viewpoints and remain committed to airing disagreements.
At the last meeting, Mayor John McArdle seemed to counter Councilor Hedrick-Roden’s concerns about McWilliams’ post-election campaign-complaint filings. “People are entitled to, if they feel rules are not appropriate, to appeal to the regulators to evaluate those campaign finance rules,” he said.
Mayor McArdle also stated that he works “really hard” to find the right people for boards and commissions. When asked after the meeting if he was aware that certain residents have reported that their attempts for voluntary service never made it past the initial screening process, McArdle explained that it is his role – as spelled out by city policy – to decide who “moves forward’ for a vote.
Erin Hill is one of those who said she was disappointed by her inability to serve. She had submitted applications for “at least two” volunteer spots on commissions or committees but was not contacted for any of them, she said.
Hill, a descendant of Independence’s founder Henry Hill, added that she was never informed of the reason she was passed over to fill a vacancy. “Why? That’s what I would really like to know,” Hill said. “I love this town. I grew up here.”
Gary Van Horn, who served on the city’s budget committee had predicted at the time he served a few years ago that he wouldn’t be reappointed. His earnest inquiries during the budget-planning process often were seen as unwelcome, he explained.
A short time after making that forecast, he received a letter thanking him for his volunteer service, without renewing his position. "I think I just asked too many questions," Van Horn said.
Asked about these two individuals, the mayor said he didn’t recall Hill and he refrained from commenting on Van Horn.
PAST EDITORIAL from Ingrid Cooper
by special request of Trammart News
This November, I am very glad to see a full slate of citizens willing step up and run for mayor and for council positions in our local town of Independence, where my husband and I have lived for over 40 years, as well as in Monmouth, and Independence. Why?
A competitive race is healthy. It brings in fresh perspectives. It challenges the status quo. It gives us a choice to vote for who can best serve our community:
To strengthen who we are,
To make sure we have a solid foundation for our essential services,
To make sure each and every person is respected, heard, welcomed, and treated equally at city halls and with all city services.
To broaden outreach to all citizens and community members and all neighborhoods,
To use our funds wisely and responsibly,
To encourage and support our local businesses,
To move forward responsibly.
Local city elections are non-partisan and non-paid. Too often, over the years, the same people are elected year after year, simply because no one else is willing to run. In this climate, those serving for a long time, often end up with tunnel vision, thinking they know what’s best for the town.
I celebrate the interest of many talented, qualitied people who are willing to step up and serve and ask questions and listen and dig into the issues and bring fresh ideas. This makes our towns stronger to welcome competition and to bring in new voices to serve our community.
And, most importantly, vote during this election and every election. Remember to vote for mayor and council members. You can make a difference with your vote. It is an important right.
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