Platte City Mayor Tony Paolillo – who is up for re-election next week – resigned at the Tuesday evening meeting of the board of aldermen.
Paolillo, who has served as mayor for four years and as an alderman for the previous 12, pointed a finger at his opponent in the election – Alderman Steve Hoeger – in his resignation letter.
“For the last three months, I have observed a course of conduct that I believe is inconsistent with both our city’s open meetings and records ordinance as well as Missouri Sunshine Law,” Paolillo wrote in his resignation letter, “but more importantly, I think it is plain wrong — and I have tried furiously to say as much and to steer the board along the right path.
“Specifically, and most recently, Aldermen (Dan) Laxson and (Steve) Hoeger admitted in open session that they entered into negotiations with a candidate for interim city administrator. The negotiations included a rate of pay and a start date. In negotiating directly with the candidate and disregarding the prior action of the board at the Feb. 27 board meeting directing the mayor to start a search for a couple of firms to provide proposal’s for interim city administrator service, the individual aldermen appear to have exceeded their authority and undermined the integrity of the prescribed manner for conducting the business of the city.”
Hoeger responded to the accusations in his own written release issued Wednesday.
“While I was surprised about the Mayor’s announcement, our board immediately demonstrated to the public that our primary task and goal is continuity of government and conducting the business of the city for the betterment of our employees, residents and businesses,” Hoeger wrote. “Our city, like other governments, is not perfect, but it is my experience that this board strives to keep the public fully informed of our actions, and is aware of its responsibilities under Missouri law. I cannot comment on the mayor’s internal beliefs, but do not agree with his statements made during our session last evening. I respect his service and wish him well.”
Tuesday evening, Paolillo also said the current board has attempted to conduct important discussions involving city business through email, a practice he believes to be equivalent to holding unposted meetings.
“Board members also appear to have worked in small groups to have taken polling or 'straw votes' or to have otherwise strategized about upcoming agenda items, with the intention of merely ratifying their actions at an open meeting later,” he stated. “I believe this is also a violation Missouri Sunshine law.
“There have also been efforts to consider items that have not been properly placed on the agenda and for which there had not been the required 24 hour notice before a meeting. In response to my refusal to take action on some of these items or to place them on the agenda, board members have criticized my decisions and my application of the Sunshine Law as relying on mere 'technicalities or secretarial' — implying that the notice provisions and other rules for conducting the City’s business were somehow not important.
He then addressed Hoeger directly, stating he believes in the importance of the Missouri Sunshine Law.
“I have tried over the last three months to protect you from yourself, and to protect the citizens of Platte City from your brand of closed-door government,” Paolillo said. “You and I value the process differently. It appears that you see the procedural steps as obstacles in the road to be ran over or swerved around, I see them as guideposts to keep us on the right path.”
He urged Hoeger and the other members of the board to familiarize themselves with the Missouri Sunshine Law and told the aldermen they need to value the law.
“The Sunshine laws are not stumbling blocks to be sidestepped, they are the cornerstones of public service and the first lines of defense against the seeds of corruption,” Paolillo said. “Do not comply with them because you are obligated to, which you are, but instead comply with them because you believe in them.”
He said he could no longer be part of a governing body that had so little respect for the laws that govern it and resigned, effective immediately.
Hoeger’s Wednesday response included his own reasoning for filing to run against Paolillo in the April 2 election.
“The mayor inherited a successful city government with dedicated board members; that in at least my tenure on the board worked cohesively, and in the best interest of the city,” Hoeger wrote. “We had sub-committees that focused on specific areas of activity within city government which were chaired by individual alderman. The mayor and former city administrator stopped using these committees which I believe resulted in a breakdown of collaboration of the board and the mayor. Unfortunately actions like this continued to drive a wedge between the mayor and the board of aldermen.
“Recent events have set local government back. The city has garnered much negative publicity and needs to heal and move on. Actions speak louder than words; and a contempt for the board and its responsibilities have led to a schism that is unclear if it could be healed without new leadership. Alderman Miller I think summed up the feelings of many of the aldermen in his statements at the conclusion of last night’s meeting. The mayor’s actions, have put the board and the city in a difficult spot but one we can heal through new leadership and collaboration between elected officials. I would like to thank Tony for his willingness to serve the past 16 years and wish him the best going forward.”
Hoeger said this would be his only statement regarding the situation.
“All future responses will be in the form of my action as an elected official moving the city forward and healing from the divide caused this last year,” Hoeger said.