At the last Council meeting members exhibited surprise when a contract for $19,900 to conduct a special census survey was on the consent agenda. Under the City Charter the City Administrator can approve contracts under $20,000 without Council Approval. All contracts over $20,000 must be approved by the City Council. The Mayor has no authority to sign any contracts unless they have been approved by the City Administrator or the City Council.
The contract in questions is between the City and Community Program Development Corporation (CPDC) and was signed by Mayor York on November 2, 2005. The contract routing slip shows the contract was not authorized or signed for by the City Administrator and was not brought before the Council for approval.
Councilman Gieseke questioned the reason for the contract and was told it was for a special census survey to determine where growth in the City is occurring. When he asked if it was to be used for redistricting of City Council Wards the City Administrator said no.
The First Capitol News obtained a copy of the contract and supporting documents and it does call for a redistricting plan to be determined by CPDC and the City’s Community Development Department.
Council President Rory Riddler advised the administration that unless a census is done by the US government the results cannot be used for any federal programs or funding grants.
Although Williams told the Council during the meeting the contract was only for determining where growth is occurring he later said he did not authorize the contract.
Councilman Gieseke told the Council members if the Administration wants to determine growth areas they only have to look at their own records.
Redistricting of Council Wards can only be done by the City Council not by Community Development. Some Council members who did not wish to be quoted told the First Capitol News it was evident that secret plans were being made to perhaps redistrict some of the Council members out of their Wards.
Councilman Mark Brown said, “It appears the Mayor misappropriated $15,000 of city money towards my recall and now we have her signing another illegal contract for $19,900. I certainly hope she is not planning on using that money to finance other recall efforts.”
Brown was referring to the October 18, 2005 City Council meeting when the Mayor was challenged by Council Members regarding suspicious payments made to fictitious named companies owned by Glennon Jamboretz. (See First Capitol News October 8, 2005)
The Mayor also signed a contract with Express Scripts without Council approval and a claim has been made for $200,000 by Express Scripts from the City. (First Capitol News, March 19, 2005)
