By Pauline Masson –
In July 2023, following the resignation of former city administrator Steve Roth, I published a post that said that Mayor Heather Filley wanted to involve the business community in the search for a new city administrator. I asked the question, does that stack the odds against citizens? I ask the same question again now.
At that time, in an email to aldermen, Mayor Filley said she wanted to add representatives of the Chamber of Commerce to the selection committee.
After former city administrator Harold Selby was hired as interim city administrator the need for a search was put on pause. After Mr. Selby resigned in May 2024 the search was on again.
Now the mayor is seeing her wish to have the Chamber of Commerce involved in the search realized.
The mayor and aldermen James Cleeve and Rafael Madrigal – who make up the administrative committee majority – have included the Chamber of Commerce as a full blown partner with the city in their search for a new city administrator, according to Chamber Executive Director Debbie Baker.
In addition to the mayor’s role in city government, the Chamber web page lists her as secretary of the Chamber board of directors. Mr. Cleeve and Mr. Madrigal are also members of the Chamber of Commerce.
Three months ago, on Feb. 4, following a recommendation of the administrative committee, the City entered into an agreement with Strategic Government Resources (SGR) to recruit, screen and submit applications for the city administrator job at a base cost to the city of $28,000. Costs can increase if the city drags its feet.
On May 1, Ms. Baker sent a letter to Chamber of Commerce members along with a questionnaire asking members to rate a series of management traits, indicating what they wanted to see in a new city administrator.
She concluded the letter saying their feedback would play a key role in guiding the Chamber and the City Council “as we work together to select a new city administrator.”
On May 12, Ms. Baker met with representatives from SGR to talk about the city administrator search. In addition to Ms. Baker the list of individuals who met individually with the SGR representative included the Pacific Partnership, city clerk Kim Barfield, police chief James Klingler, public works commissioner Robert Brueggemann, and aldermen James Cleeve, Scott Lesh, Rafael Madrigal and Karla Stewart. Alderman Tyler Hoven and Debbie Kelley did not meet in-person wth SGR.
The contract between the city and SGR says the city needs to assign a selection committee to work with the search team in screening candidates. To date the BOA has not appointed the selection committee called for in the contract.
Here is the crux of my concerns about the Chamber of Commerce involvement in choosing a new administrator. I question who was not asked to meet with the search firm to talk about our city’s needs.
The Pacific Eagles – the philanthropic arm of the city that has worked with every civic and non-profit group to fund programs and new amenities that benefit citizens – was not invited.
The Senior Center, where citizens who have lived through the booms and busts of the city and who meet daily, was not asked to send a representative.
The Ministerial Alliance – the spiritual arm of the city which sends a representative to open every BOA meeting – was not asked to weigh in on the type of leadership the city would want.
One citizen who questioned the narrow inclusion of the Chamber and the Partnership had other suggestions.
“If they needed help in the selection process they could have turned to the Missouri Municipal League which is a seasoned city government advisor,” they said. “Or, locally they could have turned to the school district, ambulance district and/or fire district, all of whom have to search for an administrator from time to time.”
Instead they invited only the downtown special interest groups, the Chamber of Commerce and the Pacific Partnership to help in the selection.
The puzzling part of this alignment with business reminds us that it was the former administration’s kowtowing to business in the construction of the Manors of Brush Creek Subdivision that prompted Mr. Cleeve, Mr. Lesh and Ms. Stewart to run for the board of aldermen.
They complained that the administration refused to meet with citizens voicing concerns about the density of the subdivision, opting instead to give business what they wanted.
“We are a mixed city,” one citizen said. “I do think they (the BOA) need voices outside city government to define what is best for our city, but they could have looked beyond just business.”
I said in 2023 that businesses and cities have distinctly different needs. Businesses need to attract a maximum number of customers and earn a maximum amount of profit. This is the only reason to be in business – customers and profit. Cities need to make political decisions that serve citizen who elected them, as well as the citizens who don’t vote. The needs of business and the citizens are often at odds as they were in the Manors of Brush Creek subdivision approval.
Both Mr. Cleeve and Mayor Filley were elected to their posts with undreamed of numbers of votes. Mr. Cleeve received 73.92 percent of the votes for his ward and Mayor Filley received 68.76 percent of the votes for her seat – due largely to the fact that the needs of one business, McBride Homes, were regarded above those of the citizens when the subdivision was approved.
The business got what it said it needed to make the subdivision economically viable and the citizens were ignored.
It must be acknowledged that businesses have a right to ask for the best reasonable interpretation of city codes and regulations. Business taxes are a vital part of the city’s revenue. But other city codes are written to protect the citizens.
The individual who is responsible for managing the city’s business, its staff, code enforcement and road usage is the city administrator. Whoever the city hires to manage our city should be capable of and willing to listen to any and all citizens that will be affected by their decisions.
Aldermen need to accept their responsibility here and evaluate new city administrator applicants based on everybody’s needs, not cede undue power to the Chamber of Commerce. They might spare themselves grief in future decisions by reaching out to a variety of citizens to see what they see as an administrator with the city’s best interests at heart.
While most of us can agree on the importance of a strong business community, Chamber leaders have not passed muster of asking the voters to give them a voice in city government. To set up the next city administrator as being beholden to the business community perpetuates the one-sided thinking that got current officials elected.
They don’t have to go back very far to recognize that they ignore the citizens at their own political peril.
Reading that article made my blood boil. The Chamber should have NO input when it comes to hiring anyone. What’s next, will they want the authority to discharge employees? I’m not sure when the chamber decided it wanted to do the functions of an elected leader without running for the job but it needs to stop now. Shame on every BOA member that voted to give power to the chamber to make recommendations on hiring an Administrator. Why do we even vote for BOA members if they’re going to let an outside entity have sway on their votes. We sure as hell didn’t vote for any members from the Chamber of Commerce.
Bottomline, the city isn’t being run, hasn’t been in some time. It applies for grants, spends, and taxes.
‘Subdivision economically viable’? Meaning the mayor had a hand in changing minimum lot size? Is that what that phrase refers to? I’m from STL. I, already, know McBride’s shady reputation.
Chamber of Commerce? Didn’t a mayor have a relative on the chamber board? Aren’t some of the chamber members NGOs that get $ from the city, which they shouldn’t be receiving, residents, already, cover their taxes. Businesses/contractors profit off the BOA’s excessive spending, making all quite agreeable for the Mayor to work with, I’m sure.
The incompetents blowing our $, are blowing more $ to have their hand held by some ‘consultant’ AND are letting the Chamber dictate their wishes? In what world? On a federal level, that’s what’s known as the deep state, gov and business colluding on what best benefits them.
People who can’t hire and fire can’t manage. They have no business being in charge of anything.
The Chamber has no business being involved in the running of the city. That’s why we have elections.
If a business can’t make it on it’s own, it shouldn’t be in business. Businesses make their own decisions. They can ally with each other.
Businesses are benefiting from our tax $ is corp welfare!
Administrator isn’t a popularity contest. It’s to see standards maintained and rules followed while managing the city. Other than to draw businesses and see they’re licensed and regulated, they’re not the city’s concern.
Nobody needs to confer on hiring an administrator, we need to recall the mayor and get someone who can do the job they’re elected to do. Clearly, she can’t.
WE HAVEN’T HAD AN ADMIN FOR 2 YRS! Sheer incompetence.
Every year, it’s like the Merry Xmas/Happy New Year form letter families send out, the mayor’s first newsletter lists ‘accomplishments’. lol It’s a list, alright, of what hasn’t been done, what she still hopes to do, what probably won’t happen, and maybe next year ‘stuff’! Good luck finding anything accomplished that didn’t take years and cost a bundle! How’s that skate park? I pass that useless $ pit that is? Still no sign at the road. The old log cabin, with the graffiti wall, with the contemporary 66 symbol? Nothing generating income. Nothing being used. Nothing benefitting those that paid millions. You would think the people who made the millions and the city that wasted the $, and benefited from our hard earned taxes, plus, put us in debt, with interest, wood be holding events constantly, getting that debt paid off asap, and, all responsible for that fiasco would have quit, been run out, or sued.
Lawsuits are where we’re at, here. Lawsuits and audits. Follow the $, OUR $!! And what do you know? Assessments just went up, meaning taxes will, likely, increase, AGAIN! This BS at the city’s gone on too long. We need to get to the bottom of it. Nothing’s being resolved. Obviously, the city’s corrupt. Let’s look at these subdivisions, the engineering, the flood and land buyouts, land transfers, the contract for the new post office, the receipts for Red Cedar, the acres in the heart of town not being developed, and all these ‘partnerships’/nonprofits/NGOs/foundations/charities/llcs/grants/contracts/loans, etc, because something stinks at City Hall.
The Chamber Should not be involved at all. It’s supposed to be Elected Officials. Board Aldermen and Mayor. They won’t even discuss it with the Citizens besides to tell you that they have interviewed some. And maybe how many applied. That’s all we’re allowed to know. If the Chamber gets a voice the Citizens should also.