COMMENTARY Majority of Voters Blithely Go About Their Business, Following the City Council, Never Acknowledging the ’Scandals’ at City Hall

“But in the topsy-turvy world that city hall has become since Jason Stilwell — an outsider from Santa Barbara — became city administrator two-and-a-half years ago, an employee in the finance department who stole food stamps was lavished with praise, but one who talked to a reporter was fired.”

“Meanwhile, the city council blithely goes about its business, never acknowledging the scandals that are piling up at city hall, and pretending it’s The Pine Cone that has the problem.”

“Meanwhile, a purge of city hall employees who were not part of Stilwell’s team also got underway. Anybody — and the total is more than a dozen to date — who revered, or even remembered, the pre-Stilwell era was apparently bound to be fired, put on leave, or forced to resign.”

Source: Editorial: Who will the next victim be? The Carmel Pine Cone, April 11, 2014, 28A

Meanwhile, on April 8, 2014, a General Municipal Election occurred, whereby a majority of the 1111 voters (41.8% of registered voters) elected incumbents Mayor Jason Burnett and Council Member Carrie Theis. Apparently, a majority of voters, unconsciously and unthinkingly, follow the city council, blithely go about their business, never acknowledging the scandals at city hall, and pretending there are no scandals. As a result, a majority of voters fail to hold elected officials accountable for their individual and collective responsibility to acknowledge and address the “scandals” and properly oversee the city administrator and city administration. Furthermore, a majority of voters seem to be unconcerned about the city employees who have been fired, suspended, placed on administrative leave, and resigned and untroubled about “Who will the next victim be?”

ADDENDUM:
Of the 1111 citizens/voters, 301 (244 blank ballots plus 57 write-ins) or 27.1% did not vote for incumbent Mayor Jason Burnett.
(Credit: "A very concerned citizen")

City of Carmel-by-the-Sea Employees Fired, Contract Suspended, Paid Administrative Leave, Resigned (March 2013 – March 2014)

Children’s Librarian Linda Macdonald, Fired, March 2013

Deputy City Clerk Molly Laughlin, Fired, March 2013

Former Fire Marshall Art Black & Former Building Official Tim Meroney, Inspections/Code Compliance Contract Suspended, April 2013

IT Manager Steve McInchak and Computer Tech Rose Franzen, Paid Administrative Leave, June 2013

Building Official John Hanson, Paid Administrative Leave, June 2013; Fired, August 2013

Administrative Coordinators, Community Planning & Building Department, Leslie Fenton and Margi Perotti, Paid Administrative Leave, October 2013; Fired March 2014

Assistant City Administrator/City Clerk Heidi Burch, Resigned, October 2013

REFERENCES:
City fires librarian, assistant clerk disappears
- No explanations offered
By MARY SCHLEY
Published: March 29, 2013

City's contract review raises questions
By MARY SCHLEY
Published: April 26, 2013

Building official fired after weeks of paid leave
By MARY SCHLEY
Published: August 9, 2013

Two more city hall employees placed on leave; assistant city admin resigns

- Quits over secrecy at city hall
By MARY SCHLEY
Published: Nov. 1, 2013

Burch's resignation letter condemns city administration
- Planning commissioner calls treatment of employees ‘brutal’
By MARY SCHLEY
Published: Nov. 15, 2013

Planning department employee fired for giving info to newspaper

■ Coworker also fired; appeals planned
By MARY SCHLEY, The Carmel Pine Cone, April 4, 2014

Written, Compiled & Published by L.A. Paterson