Resident tells council deception erodes trust, urges resignation for false accusations

Resident Maynard Little used the public comment period to press the council on transparency, saying city consultants, staff and council members have used deceptive practices to avoid clear answers and accusing some officials of failing to respond to constituents’ questions. He told the council two of seven members have not responded to his repeated inquiries and said the pattern demonstrates a lack of transparency.

“Deception can be achieved via numerous forms…lies, ambiguous or evasive language to avoid direct answer,” Little said, arguing that when officials fail to respond it is itself a form of deception. He added that if an elected or appointed official falsely accuses a constituent, “that official should not hold office and should resign.” The remarks were delivered during the public comment portion of the agenda; no formal response or investigation was recorded on the meeting record.