WORD ON THE STREET
DOES WILLIAMS WANT TO CONTRACT WITH STEVE POWELL?
It is believed City Administrator Allan Williams is scrambling to locate taxpayer funds because he wants to send former CEO of the CVB to Philadelphia to represent the city in an attempt to bring tourists to St. Charles. Under current rules Williams can indebt the city up to $20,000 on a contract without the approval of the City Council. Twenty Thousand per contract without any limit on the number of contracts. Powell recently resigned as CEO of the CVB during an internal investigation ordered by the City Council. He was given several months of severance pay. What doesn’t seem right here?
Several weeks ago Williams held a meeting with some of the Main Street merchants. He wanted to learn from them how the City could be of help. I would have thought he learned more from the merchants than the necessity to give more city money to Steve Powell. After the meeting, attended by Powell fresh in from Peoria, bystanders told the First Capitol News that Powell yelled at Donna, the acting director of the CVB. Powell told Donna she should have wrested control of the merchants meeting from Williams and let him know she was in charge. Hmmmmm
Rumor also has it Roger Pryor, the Chairman of the St. Charles County Convention and Sports Facilities Authority, is working diligently behind the scenes to have Powell appointed as a member of the Convention and Sports Facilities Authority. Powell is working as the Director of the Convention and Visitors Board in Peoria, Illinois. Since he is living in Peoria if he is appointed to the Authority there would be an Illinois resident on the Missouri Board. Why should that be a surprise? When Powell was CEO of the St. Charles CVB most of the members of the CVB board were not residents of St. Charles.
Main Street Merchants told the First Capitol News they see Powell on Main Street more often now than when he was employed here. I wonder what Peoria thinks of that?
We have also been told the word is Powell plans to be hired back as the CEO of the CVB after the Mayoral elections in 2007.
Last week I dealt with the Mayor and her never-ending attack on the Council within the walls of City Hall. I believe a recent letter sent to City employees in their pay checks proves she and Dr. Allan Williams intend to act in concert to divide and create a work environment of us against them instead of working together for the common good.
Councilman Mark Brown did say cesspool and their letter demonstrates where the cesspool is. The administration is guilty of trying to create divisiveness with the staff and the council.
Let ‘s look at what Williams and York are trying to do. These two want to cut you off from the City’s staff and are doing this by trying to cut the Council off. After all, the council is our eyes and ears in the City. If we have a problem we call our Councilman, they call the City Administrator and then he delegates to his staff. What do you think staff will do with a complaint from a councilman? This could answer a number of the issues with staff response time. If the administration creates an environment of lack of respect, lack of concern and overall disdain for our voice in City government why would the rank and file not follow suit? Where does that leave the residents?
Everyday you and I drive by neglected areas of the city. We see over grown brush, trash, eyesores, yet for some reason the staff drive by without concern. The reason is simple. York and Williams only care about their own quest for power and keeping things nice for you does not fit within this quest. Let me ask you, since York has hired Williams have you seen a difference in the City? Better yet, since York has been in office have you noticed a change in your neck of the woods?
Bottom line York and Williams are trying to consolidate power in the executive branch and eliminate the council. This is a dangerous thing for us to allow to happen. You see the abuses in the private sector with Enron, Adelphia, and World Com. Even Boeing has had problems. This is what happens when oversight of organizations doesn’t take place. Abuse of power in the public sector is more difficult to discover. That is why we elect Councils. Many people think it is a bad thing for the Council to question the staff and truly provide oversight. Those are the people who just don’t get it. Our money is being collected in the form of taxes. These taxes are supposed to be used for our public needs. When these taxes are spent on special interests and not us, we should be outraged.
When York and Williams refuse to cooperate with your voice in government the system breaks down and controversy is created. The power struggle might seem unconstructive but in reality it is for our best interest. If the council would give in to York and Williams and become a rubber stamp you can bet the rubber stamp won’t be stamping for us. It will be stamping for the rich and famous.
