Letter in response to former Mayor Davis

To the editor:

The mayor takes a lot of shots. I knew it came with the job and let most things bounce off my back.

I also took the advice of a wise politician who told me when I assumed office: “People who call you want solutions; people who write Letters to the Editor want attention.”

But when a former mayor who should know better distorts the facts and fabricates information about what’s going on at City Hall in order to influence an aldermanic election, I am forced to respond.

Let me clearly state a few facts about City Hall in 2015.

One, financial integrity has been restored to City government. I probably don’t have to remind people about the financial scandal that rocked City Hall prior to my assuming office. A lack of financial controls and oversight led to the loss of hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars and a felony conviction. When I took office we hired a new, well-respected auditing firm and implemented their recommendations. Six years of clean and strong audits have resulted, as have six years of balanced budgets. All City expenditures are planned for and budgeted.

Two, the new committee structure affords more participation by the aldermen, not less. Under the old committee structure we had a committee and a chairmanship for each alderman. That often resulted in eight little fiefdoms going in eight different directions. Other members with an interest in a topic outside of their committee often were left out of discussions. The new Committee of the Whole structure allows every alderman to be involved in every topic. Aldermen can speak up and address any topic of concern - to them or to their constituents. Nothing was “circumvented.” The change was discussed openly and adopted unanimously by all the aldermen. The old system was great for fiefdoms and fabulous thing for those who wanted their own pocket of control. The new system is better for the city and its citizens.

Three, Lincoln’s City government is more transparent than ever. We follow the Open Meetings Act. Period. To the letter of the law. We don’t hold clandestine meetings outside public view. We discuss every topic in open session at our Committee of the Whole meetings and voting sessions. We purposefully rebuilt our website (www.lincolnil.gov)to post more documents than are required by law. We now post, for everyone to see, the following: Monthly budget reports (how much is spent in each and every line of the budget every month), City employee salaries, annual audits, planning reports (such as the five-year infrastructure improvement plan), contracts and agreements (such as the employment contract with the City Administrator and the funding agreement with the Logan County Alliance), and Council voting packets. You read that right – people now have access to the identical documents aldermen receive days before any Council vote.

Four, agreement among aldermen shows leadership and support for the new direction taken by City government, not the ignoring of constituent needs. Heated arguments and angry dissension on the floor of the Council aren’t respectful to the citizens of Lincoln; they indicate a lack of leadership and a lack of professionalism. I can assure you the current aldermen and I don’t always agree. They are not shy about telling me. Look at who sits on the Council now. Does anybody think people like Marty Neitzel or Michelle Bauer are shy about bringing up matters important to their wards? When differences do arise, my style is one of listening and trying to resolve those differences; not waiting and letting people duke it out in debate. Nobody forces the aldermen to vote any particular way. They are all strong-willed individuals who take seriously their responsibility to represent the best interests of their constituents.

Five, City government is more professionally-run than ever. The City of Lincoln is a $13 million annual enterprise. If we were to succeed, it had to be run more like a business and in a more professional manner than it was when I arrived. Here are just a few of the things not in place in 2009 but are now: weekly department head meetings; annual evaluations of department heads; short-term and long-term goals for each department; budgets based on those goals not on political whims; finance policies with strong oversight and controls; work comp costs brought under control through a multi-department safety committee; a new website that shares more information; and a City Administrator.

Hiring an administrator was a big change for Lincoln, but it was needed. Remember that $13 million enterprise that is the City? That’s roughly the same size as Lincoln College. Would anyone expect the college to run without a president? But what about the mayor, you ask? Isn’t that what he’s supposed to do?

The City of Lincoln has operated for decades under the policy that the mayor is a part-time position. That was done primarily to keep power in check and also make sure that operationally the City could easily transition from administration to administration. The running of a city has become so specialized and intricate that most cities across Illinois have had full-time and professionally managers and administrations running their cities for decades.

When I took office I had an MBA and years of governmental experience. I can tell you, though, that even I didn’t have the experience to run Lincoln on a full-time basis. Those who run cities full-time in the 21st century need experience in public budgeting, fund accounting, labor relations, contract negotiations, government procurement, revenue forecasting, grant writing, HR and insurance compliance, and the list goes on and on.

The City of Lincoln requires, and its citizens should demand professional, full-time administrative leadership at the helm every day. Clay Johnson, our current administrator, is the consummate professional. He provides all the experience mentioned above as well as well-researched advice, better day-to-day coordination of all activities, and greater operating efficiencies than were ever before possible.

The City of Lincoln is in a different place than it was in 2009. That’s a good thing for all of us. It’s a much better place, a much stronger place, and a much more prepared place to meet the challenges and the opportunities ahead.

Thank you,
Keith Snyder
Mayor

Letter written by Mayor Davis:
Letter of support for Wanda Lee Rohlfs Ward 3 alderman candidate

[Posted February 21, 2015]