Dear Editor:
As a resident of the Fourth Ward, I am deeply disappointed in Mayor Zimmer and the newly elected City Council members for the hasty and secretive process used to select a representative for the Fourth Ward.
Mayor Zimmer and the City Council have an unprecedented opportunity to model governmental transparency and accountability. Unfortunately, they chose to follow the model of a closed culture driven by cronyism. An open public forum would have provided residents an opportunity to voice what they are looking for in a representative. Publically posting the position, as done for the unpaid Board seats, would have encouraged the public participation so vital to our democracy. Unfortunately, none of the newspapers even had time to publish the meeting agenda, so it was only by word of mouth, or by searching the city website, that a constituent might know the Fourth Ward seat would be decided at this meeting.
Council members defended their selection process with a variety of assumptions. They assumed that “everybody” knew the position would open immediately; that “everybody” knew how and when to send a resume and lobby council support; that “everybody” knew the process would be no different from the Roberts administration. Unfortunately for Mr. Lenz, this lack of transparency did little to legitimize his selection as a “reformer”. I am not naïve enough to believe the outcome would have been different, as this was clearly a repayment of Mr. Lenz’s previous political support. However, had the administration even attempted to model a transparent process it might lead us to begin to believe the campaign promises that stuffed our mailboxes for the past six months.
I would strongly recommend the Mayor and Council read Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals,” an adept analysis of the Lincoln administration. President Lincoln was successful because he surrounded himself with people willing to challenge one another, often with conflicting viewpoints. I would have preferred to see a slate of candidates that included both genders, and exemplified the racial and political diversity of our wonderful neighborhood, instead of a group of the Mayor’s most visible and vocal supporters. It is my sincere hope that Mayor Zimmer, Council President Cunningham, Council Vice President Marsh, Councilman Bhalla, and Councilman Mello revisit their own campaign promises, and hold themselves accountable for fulfilling them. I hope that other constituents will join me in holding them accountable.
Rachel Goldberg