Is there such a thing as integrity in government? These thoughts now I ponder from the experience of being in the position of Mayor -an elected official.
So first let’s look at how wiki defines the word integrity:
“Integrity is the practice of being honest and showing consistent and uncompromising adherence to strong moral and ethical principles and values. In ethics, integrity is regarded as the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of one’s actions.”
Things had been pretty rough for a few months… nothing like seeing the Law of Cause and Effect play out, so this issue dates back to an inquiry I made about an email that came from the city administrator Witte back in mid 2019. This post is serving to express the experience I went through during my campaigning for re-election for mayor — which humbled that the community brought me back to serve another term as mayor. Funny how some things take a while before one can experience complete healing – I can talk about it now since the wounds have healed and I am now distanced from the political lime light.
In Florida, they have this thing called the “Sunshine Law” which pretty much translates to: all matters must be aired in public among elected officials who serve on the same board. So what is a person to do… well, not just a person, what is an elected official in the capacity of Mayor to a city supposed to do when faced with an issue that questions an employee’s integrity? A conundrum, stay quiet and look the other way? or Forge on and stand with the evidence of what you believe is true? That’s a question of personal integrity and the price you are willing to pay for standing in what you believe is the right thing no matter what others think. I wish I could tell you that making a choice like that is easy… but it’s not.
Many folks in my town will never understand how hurt I was when I had a little old lady Betty D. tell me to mind my own business when someone had asked me about the city administrator, I was shocked hearing her say that, and out of respect to the upbringing my parents provided I never responded to her indignant statement. Unfortunately when you are an elected official ALL CITY matters become ones business. There is nothing more that I would have loved than to not see the ugly politics of my city, it was just as bad when my eyes were opened to the ugly side of humanity when I was a police officer. Life experiences can either make you or break you.
May I add, that it was not made any easier since it was not just any employee but the person in question was the city administrator? That is pretty much the highest-paid executive position in the city. The position calls for that person overseeing pretty much every aspect of the government, touching contracts, documents, emails, financials, and budget. Pretty important position, requiring in my opinion a person of high integrity.
I must add, I served on a commission with people I actually like, each one has some redeeming qualities. Optimally, in private business if there is a situation with an employee, one would call or meet with one’s business associate and discuss issues to find peaceful resolutions. The public doesn’t sit in on those conversations, the media doesn’t feed on the minutia of how the organization addresses employee matters. So what is a Mayor of a city (or fellow commissioners) supposed to do when faced with an issue of observing what could be possible malfeasance perpetrated by the city administrator?
That was my conundrum. The issue that I brought to light fell on the deaf ears of the commission whom I served with. I wonder now if there was a political reasons why other commissioners chose to look the other way… the voices of the rumor-mill said it was all part of a counter-campaign plot so I would lose the vote and confidence of the people. Yet God had a plan for me.
The drama played out… an investigator looked into the matter and before the report could be discussed at a public meeting the city administrator chose to resign. At the onset of discovering the altered email… I did not expect my intelligence to be insulted and was innocently shocked at how people were willing to look the other way despite of the evidence. At the least I expected the commissioners to reprimand the action of the city administrator – but that never happened because they did not see any wrong doing. While I could have been vocal about my position, there was a part of me that wanted to practice ‘democracy’ and that was not easy. It would have been much easier for me to express my heart, but politics is not a romance game. I do know from experience… one action left unchecked can create an open door for allowing other things to slip up, such as permitting documents allowing city land to be taken from underneath its own citizens and other “paper work” errors that clearly demonstrate disregard for city codes. Which all those things did happen by said administrator and the commissioners where eager to look the other way.
The drama of politics happening at the peak of my Mayoral re-election campaign season was very unpleasant. The short of the long story is: With God by my side and Truth as my shield, I prevailed.
In conclusion… don’t bend your integrity to make up for the lack of it in others.
