City Council meeting a fiasco
Stephanie Phillips
Issue date: 1/20/10 Section: Opinion
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One item on the agenda included the renovation of Mayor Murray's office, costing a total of $17,500. Murray asked for repairs to remove mold, replace smoke damaged ceilings, repair plaster, fix lighting fixtures, repair walls, update heating and air conditioning units (no heat source currently exists), repair restroom facilities to update missing/broken fixtures, paint and new carpeting.
Jim Kalb responded, I thought childishly, with, "Cough-cough, carpet shampooing, cough," from the audience after the $2,600 commercial carpet issue was discussed.
But we have heard enough from ex-Mayor Kalb and that is precisely why he is no longer in office. The people want a positive and effective change in the city of Portsmouth.
Murray also requested a pay increase to provide Jeffery Peck, the commissioner of engineering and public services, a salary of $65,000 - $70,000. The city's charter requires that no director make more than the mayor's salary thus Murray recommended an increase in the mayor's salary to $65,000.
Most people do not take on a new job and demand a newly renovated office, pay raise and create a new job that has no job description but ask for that position to be paid $70,000 a year. The public only sees red flags as opposed to real, positive and needed change. To Murray's defense she attempted to donate the increase back to the city but was advised otherwise.
It was clear to me that Mayor Murray uprooted the "good ole boy network" by firing three city workers right off the bat. I do not think it was necessarily the best way to go about things but it was an efficient way to save city funds. I highly doubt that any of these workers would accept a pay decrease from Mayor Murray but they are more apt to accept it when given the ultimatum of employment at a lesser pay versus unemployment.
Viewing Comments 1 - 9 of 10
Concerned student
posted 1/20/10 @ 11:24 AM EST
While your observations of childish behavior inthe part of the gallery may be correct, they most certainly acted like children. The fact remains that the council did not need to consider Mrs. (Continued…)
Heather Dumas
posted 1/20/10 @ 12:16 PM EST
Editor's note: I'm saying this now before this gets out of hand or progresses to personal attacks, as it has the potential to. It is not the duty of our reporters to defend the political decisions of any official. (Continued…)
dogface
posted 1/20/10 @ 4:54 PM EST
City council meetings have in the past occasionally been circus acts, especially when certain community members repeatedly cry about their personal agenda no matter who is in office. (Continued…)
June Trea
posted 1/20/10 @ 7:40 PM EST
Concerned Student is right...although I read this opinion piece
with an open mind, by the end, I feel I'm reading an article about the
Mayor against the good ole boys. (Continued…)
Heather Dumas
posted 1/20/10 @ 8:16 PM EST
Perhaps I was unclear the first time. I find it inappropriate to stand idly by while allowing a personal attack on my reporter(s). My earlier post said "before" it becomes a problem. (Continued…)
Boris
posted 1/20/10 @ 11:50 PM EST
Kalb and his group have made it their vendetta to do everything they can to see that the new mayor fails.
Kalb was noted as saying he is now retired and will spend all his time battling with the new mayor, this sounds like a guy that is afraid that the new mayor might find out something he doesn't want out in the public. (Continued…)
Natasha
posted 1/22/10 @ 10:33 PM EST
This reporter has not attended enough council meetings to make the judgments she made. She also does not know the language in the City Charter. It's good that you are attending the meetings and I hope you keep coming to see what is actually going on. (Continued…)
Jim Kalb
posted 1/23/10 @ 6:07 AM EST
I have read this article by Stephanie Phillips a few times now and I can no longer refrain from posting my "opinion" about it. From her writing it appears that Ms. (Continued…)
Heather Dumas
posted 1/23/10 @ 7:54 AM EST
NO MORE COMMENTS to this opinion column will be allowed to post on this website. This is the equivalent of the editor/moderator locking the thread! (This is a general notice to all readers, not directed at any one person. (Continued…)
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