by Matt Marquardt –
An item in Mason City’s 2013 budget piqued my interest and I decided to ask City Hall for some information about it. I asked about a $60,000 remodeling plan for the first floor of City Hall.
The persons I asked were City Administrator Brent Trout, Mayor Eric Bookmeyer, and our six City Council representatives. They are Alex Kuhn, Jean Marinos, John Lee, Travis Hickey, Janet Solberg and Scott Tornquist. I also included Finance Director Kevin Jacobson in the list.
I sent the following questions about the planned remodel to the above nine persons:
“Brent, how does the walk-through with the architect work, for the first floor City Hall remodel? Is that just a preliminary thing to take a look? How did the figure of $60,000 come about? Is that an estimate? How was that figure arrived at? Has Mr. Cram already been hired to design the remodel? I talked to another Mason City architect today and he knows nothing about the project. Will other architects be invited to look at the project? Whose idea was it to remodel City Hall first floor? Can I see the plans?”
I also asked about the budget and getting information on that.
“Also I am still waiting to hear back from you about getting copies of the CIP budget and the operating budget, the same materials the department heads received prior to Tuesday’s meeting. I emailed Chief Platts about the fire truck and he got right back to me. I have people asking what is going on and they are expecting a story. No other media attended Tuesday’s budget meeting and the public is demanding information. I’d greatly appreciate answers to the above questions from you and those that are receiving this, some of which campaigned on ‘transparency.'”
No one ever gave me a response to these questions. I did get a copy of the budget from Kevin Jacobson and had a brief discussion with him. I came away from that with a feeling that if he talked to me without permission from higher up the ladder, his job could be in jeopardy.
This is all troubling for several reasons, but let me be clear on a few points first. I am always courteous to these people, but I am blunt when I am working, and maybe they didn’t care for my tone. Too bad. I’m not here to make friends, I just want answers. Why am I entitled to answers? I am a taxpayer here in Mason City, a resident, a small business owner, no criminal record, I have never been kicked out of a bar or made my barber cry. These people represent me the same way they represent everyone else in this town. They are spending my money. I believe this is still America; have a right to ask questions and get a timely answer. Furthermore, the public somewhat expects me to report on various issues; in fact, I get calls and emails when I don’t. I am doing my job, a job I hired myself to do that I enjoy. Here is a reality check for these eight individuals: Let me clue you in on the fact that many people are sick and tired of hearing the skewed news you hand deliver to the other media outlet. I am talking about regular people here, 99% of which do not fit or are not allowed in your social circles. These folks are either skeptical of what you are delivering to the other media outlet or outright call it lies and misrepresentations. It is cooked news to them. Here is the bottom line: Silence is still an answer. A huge portion of the public is not buying your cooked news, and when you offer no answer to a regular citizen like myself, you are encouraging stories like this one and the propagation of rumor throughout the community. So now I ask, why no answer? Are you hiding something, are you afraid of what I will report, or do only certain people get to ask questions and get answers? How much transparency is there, really, at City Hall?
Farmers always said if the lead sheep goes into a hole the others will follow until they pile up and die. Feel that way yet council. Just because your leader is an idiot doesn’t mean you have to be. Show some nads and represent all the citizens like you have been elected to do.
I believe their is a statement in the council persons oath pertaining to cooperating with the news media and all citizens. Could be a breach of what they are elected to do.
Robert, I don’t know what fairytale land you live in but people are catching on to many things and are tired of it. Also, have you ever tried to be a news reporter? What do you really know about it? This site has brought a breath of fresh air to Mason City and the ones that don’t like it are perhaps the ones that feel most threatened by it. Why is that? Is it easier to rule when your population is less informed? Of course it is.
The part about “isn’t having a good working relationship better than not having one at all” is strange in that you mean Matt should compromise his principles just so he can get a story from these guys? Isn’t that the problem with the Globe-Gazette?
Eventually enough people will complain about their property tax assessments not being in line fairly with their home value and the taxes will need to be reduced accordingly. Then we will have even less money for the city to spend. All of these things are factual and yet the city leaders want to pretend like it is not true and continue the spending with microfinancing and city hall remodeling. STOP THE SPENDING !!
Mason City has always been like this.It is a town where the people who are in government think they are more important then everyone else.$60000 to move offices?What are the movers making 200 an Hour?The Globe Gazette?What a joke,until John Skipper and the current editorial staff are gone will never cover the city of mason city,in a way it should.Mason City has not and will not grow until the people in the city vote these jokers out.
It is going to be a long two years…….
what about residential property taxes? I have seen in the last 3 years, midwest home prices have dropped 30%. Are our tax assesments going to drop 30% as well?? They should
Any of our city leaders worried about the planned Iowa legislature looking at cutting commercial property taxes as they are too high and put us at a disadvantage in competing with other states for business and jobs?
Where is this money going to come from when the commercial property taxes get cut? If they don’t reduce spending (like not remodeling city hall) they will have to raise other taxes like your own personal property taxes. Is that what you want people of Mason City? You are okay with that? Go figure. Do people mind going without something they may want for their family to continue paying for stuff these government leaders dream up?
What Matt wrote in the above article was pricise and 100% correct. NIT is a breath of fresh air sweeping across North Iowa ; Marquart has pulled the covers off those in City Hall….as the majority of bloggs here indicate. It is abundantly clear how those who are responding feel about the Mayor and council. There are good people in City Hall who are classified as “staff”; these are those who are caught in the net of hyprocrisy and compromised by an inpt Mayor and a complacient council. These people are going to throw a big party and you and I are going to pay for it.