Latest in a series of posts on Ethics and City Government
If you haven’t been paying attention, ’tis time to listen up.
A tempest has been brewing around Councilman Callahan for a period of time.
It blew up yesterday when he held a press conference at Town Hall.
There Councilman Callahan suggested that the Director of Community and Economic Development Alicia Miller Karner may have engaged in unethical behavior that Mayor Donchez has been unwilling to investigate.
Gadfly — always the professor — wants to make sure that you are up to speed on this important matter.
Let’s review how we got here.
Here in chronological order over the last three weeks or so are a series of Gadfly posts that will provide recent history of Councilman Callahan’s agitation and provide necessary background for his announcement in public yesterday.
- Councilman Callahan’s response to the proposed South Bethlehem Planning Study: On November 6, in discussion of a proposed study of the Southside, BC expressed “big concern” for Ms. Karner’s leadership, referring to “highly unethical” behavior, apparently in regard to a contract for the Polk Street Garage, the kind of behavior people went to jail for in Allentown.
- Discussion of the golf course budget drifts off the fairway: At a City budget hearing November 13, tempers flared between BC, the manager of the golf course, and some City Council members over a fee issue for kids at the golf course.
- Decorum d’issue at City Council last night: The mayor made a formal statement at the November 19 City Council meeting about BC’s “unwarranted attack” on AMK during the November 6 meeting (without mentioning BC by name) and decried the lack of decorum at Council meetings — even threatening to boycott the meetings if such behaviors continued.
- Councilman Callahan charges “unethical behavior” / Mayor Donchez charges “unwarranted personal attack”: This post contains a full audio and video record of the the relevant portions of the November 19 City Council meeting. BC offers to disclose his information regarding AMK — “of such a serious nature that everybody on Council needs to know about it” — right then and there — but the Mayor says that from his perspective it is a personnel matter (and thus confidential).
- The Mayor’s speech at City Council November 19: Here is a printed copy of the Mayor’s formal statement at the November 19 City Council meeting, the video of which is in the post in the previous bullet.
- Councilman plans to address concerns about potential unethical practices in a City department: On November 22, Councilman Callahan announces a press conference for November 25 — yesterday — where we expect that we will get full details of the unethical behavior that he is asking to be investigated.
Ok, are you with him so far? Gadfly will spend the next several posts on this topic. There will be more than enough for you to chew on today.
Clear your calendar.
Buckle up.
