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Residents accuse mayor of posting employee evaluations; commission hears calls for censure and for respecting public input
Summary
Multiple speakers during public comment accused the mayor of posting city employee evaluation documents on a campaign website and of publishing names of complaint filers; speakers were divided between calls for censure and defenses of city staff, and no formal censure action was taken at the meeting.
Public comment at the July 6 Lapeer City Commission meeting was dominated by allegations that the mayor had posted employee evaluation materials on a campaign website and, according to some speakers, published the names of people who filed complaints.
Karen Borchego told the commission she had obtained the official evaluation documents and said the mayor's publication of those files on his campaign site was "grossly unethical." "You do not get to take government documents and put them on your campaign website," Borchego said, and she urged the commission to censure the mayor for what she characterized as "doxing" complainants by publishing names associated with complaints.
Other speakers offered different perspectives. Ken Kavnick said city staff had been "nothing but courteous, polite, and helpful" and cautioned against assuming wrongdoing; several audience members said they have long ties to the area and defended their right to address city government even if they live outside the municipal limits. Heidi Halford and others criticized both "theatrics" by public speakers and similar behavior by some commissioners, calling for consistent standards of decorum.
City officials did not take formal disciplinary action at the meeting. The mayor was absent and therefore did not respond in person; the commission deferred any mayoral appointments and left investigation or formal censure off the agenda. The city manager and city attorney were asked to provide documents and additional information requested by commissioners who said they required more supporting materials before considering any formal response.
What's next: Commissioners asked staff to assemble records and requested additional documentation. No formal censure or code-enforcement action was taken during the meeting.
