Councilmember criticizes mayor’s transparency; mayor responds
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Summary
Councilmember Chris Fisher publicly criticized the mayor’s transparency and alleged politicization of city events; the mayor rebutted the claims, defended staff processes and legal counsel involvement, and urged council members to verify facts.
At the meeting, Councilmember Chris Fisher used his floor time to sharply criticize the mayor’s office for what he described as a lack of transparency and politicization. Fisher said the mayor’s office had excluded council members from communications and accused the administration of using city events for campaign purposes and credit‑taking for state funds. "Letting the city employee actively campaign while working on duty in a city park at a city event... that's not fair," Fisher said, adding that the council was 28 days away from a change in membership and promising new rules in January.
The mayor responded directly, saying he had not vetoed the resolutions and defending budget and personnel decisions. He challenged council criticism of past budgets, defended use of legal counsel, and urged members to "look at both sides and get the facts." The mayor also warned about fiscal risks and cautioned against unilateral budget cuts, saying, "You don't slash a budget. You carve it."
The exchange highlighted ongoing tension between the mayor and at least one councilmember. Fisher's statements were framed as criticisms and allegations; the mayor provided a direct rebuttal during the same meeting. No formal ethics complaint or legal action was filed on the record at this meeting; the dispute remained in the public record as part of the council proceedings.
