More secrecy at Davenport City Hall
Officials should explain city administrator's departure
In Davenport’s recently concluded mayoral campaign, one of the issues was the city’s top administrator, Corri Spiegel.
Ken Croken, the state representative running against incumbent Mayor Mike Matson said Spiegel should resign, citing as the “final straw” the “mismanagement” of the investigation into the downtown apartment building collapse.
Croken lost. Matson won. But Spiegel is headed out the door, anyway. City Hall made the announcement last week.
No explanation was given. The Quad-City Times reported last Friday that Matson confirmed there was an agreement “with money” between the city and Spiegel, and that it was worked out between the city’s legal department and Spiegel “via the consent of the city council.”
The law generally requires aldermen to take final action in public. But in this case, at least so far, the public — the people who pay the bills — have been left out of the picture.
Why?
I’ve not heard a good explanation. Who knows if we’ll even get one. The Times has requested a copy of the agreement, though as of Tuesday, the newspaper said it still hadn’t received it, adding the city says it is planning to issue a news release today, the day before Thanksgiving.
This isn’t the way the public’s business should be conducted. The people have a right to know when a top — the top — administrator is leaving, and why. That’s especially true if they’re being asked to write that executive a check.
I’d be shocked if the agreement — even if one is relinquished — will tell the whole story about Spiegel’s departure. That means the responsibility for an explanation lies with our elected leaders; that is to say, those who, behind closed doors, gave their consent to this arrangement.
It’s still possible for them to explain, and they must do so.
This isn’t the first time in recent weeks that I’ve written about secrecy at Davenport City Hall. A few weeks ago, the mayor refused to provide information about a recommendation made by a committee investigating a racial slur allegedly made by one alderman in the presence of others, including a Black member of the city council who complained about that and other offensive statements.
In this case, I can understand why aldermen might want to sign off on a payment to an administrator in secret. Payouts tend to be unpopular with the public, especially if they’re big.
People tend to lose elections over this sort of stuff.
The Times reporting indicates that aldermen were plugged into this before the election, but as we now know, the news only was announced after voters went to the polls.
The election is over, but the public could still make the city council pay a price if they don’t explain their actions.
Secrecy breeds mistrust. And even those who believed enough in the incumbents to re-elect them will feel used if they think something important was hidden from them before they cast their vote.
Trust, once abused, is easily lost.
So, what to do about this?
I’d say our elected leaders ought to remember their first duty is to the public; that among those duties is to provide a full and honest explanation for why the city’s top administrator is leaving. They also ought to explain why, and for what, a monetary payment is involved.
Each alderman has a voice. Each has a responsibility to the public. They shouldn’t be able to collectively hide from their decisions.
They also ought to explain what part of the law allowed them to give their consent in private. The people have a right to evaluate whether this was legal, and legalities aside, whether it was still in the public's interest to do it this way. Just because something is legal doesn’t mean that aldermen can’t still stand up for openness and transparency.
Already, there is a segment of the population that thinks Davenport City Hall is corrupt. For the most part, the recent election demonstrated the relatively small number of voters who cast ballots didn’t think a house cleaning was warranted. But that doesn’t mean this will always be the case. Especially if the public isn’t given answers. And soon.
An invitation
Paying subscribers to the Iowa Writers Collaborative, or any of its members, including Along the Mississippi, are invited to a special in-person holiday party that is being given by the collaborative Thursday, Dec. 7, at the Witmer House, 2900 Grand Ave., Des Moines from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
You can click here for the registration form.
Along the Mississippi is a proud member of the Iowa Writers Collaborative. Please check out the work of my colleagues and consider subscribing.
Nicole Baart, This Stays Here, Sioux Center
Ray Young Bear, From Red Earth Drive, Meskwaki Settlement
Laura Belin, Iowa Politics with Laura Belin, Windsor Heights
Doug Burns: The Iowa Mercury, Carroll
Dave Busiek: Dave Busiek on Media, Des Moines
Stephanie Copley: It Was Never a Dress, Johnston
Art Cullen, Art Cullen’s Notebook, Storm Lake
Suzanna de Baca: Dispatches from the Heartland, Huxley
Debra Engle: A Whole New World, Madison County
Julie Gammack: Julie Gammack’s Iowa Potluck, Des Moines and Okoboji
Arnold Garson: Second Thoughts, Okoboji and Sioux Falls
Jody Gifford: Benign Inspiration, West Des Moines
Rob Gray: Rob Gray’s Area, Ankeny
Nik Heftman, The Seven Times, Los Angeles and Iowa
Beth Hoffman: In the Dirt, Lovilla
Iowa Writers’ Collaborative, Roundup
Dana James: New Black Iowa, Des Moines
Pat Kinney: View from Cedar Valley, Waterloo
Fern Kupfer and Joe Geha: Fern and Joe, Ames
Robert Leonard: Deep Midwest: Politics and Culture, Bussey
LettersfromIowans, Iowa
Tar Macias, Hola Iowa, Iowa
Darcy Maulsby: Keepin’ It Rural, Lake City
Alison McGaughey, The Inquisitive Quad Citizen, Quad Cities
Kurt Meyer, Showing Up
Wini Moranville, Wini’s Food Stories, Des Moines
Jeff Morrison: Between Two Rivers, Cedar Rapids
Kyle Munson: Kyle’s Main Street, Iowa
Jane Nguyen, The Asian Iowan, West Des Moines
John Naughton, My Life, in Color, Des Moines
Chuck Offenburger: Iowa Boy Chuck Offenburger, Jefferson and Des Moines
Barry Piatt: Behind the Curtain, Washington, D.C.
Dave Price: Dave Price’s Perspective, Urbandale
Macey Spensley: The Midwest Creative
Larry Stone, Listening to the Land, Elkader
Mary Swander: Mary Swander’s Buggy Land, Kalona
Mary Swander: Mary Swander’s Emerging Voices
Cheryl Tevis, Unfinished Business, Boone County
Ed Tibbetts: Along the Mississippi, Davenport
Teresa Zilk: Talking Good, Des Moines
Also, please read the work of our alliance partner, Iowa Capital Dispatch. It provides hard-hitting news along with selected commentary by members of the Iowa Writers Collaborative.
There is always the issue of what is a "human resources" issue and what is a "public" issue.
While trying not to get tied up in the weeds, the employee is entitled to certain protections or the former employer could end up paying the balance of a specific individuals career earnings.
Ed, you are right in the notion that the question needs to be asked and the settlement amount will certainly be public. The details will most likely never be public.
When I wrote my letter to editor before the election it focused on the failure of the mayor and city council holding the city administrator and those that work under her accountable for the building collapse. I don’t know if the people that are leaving are connected to that incident but if so, the mayor and council have done what I suggested that should have done. The most important part of the issue now is the lack of transparency. This was in the works before the election and what is the justification for withholding the separation agreement from the public. Was Corri terminated, asked to resign and was there a cause related to her leaving. My guess is they are withholding information because of pending lawsuits against the city that point to Corri and the city being negligent in their duties. In any case it looks to me that Matson and the city council have finally done what they should have done a long time ago. Now it's time to come clean about the separation agreement and why this information was withheld until after the election.