There was a time when Councilman Mike Pope opined that Villa Hills could effectively operate with "one and a half" clerks in the city building. Now Pope's friend Mike Martin is running the city. And now Pope is also oddly silent about "how many clerks it takes to screw in a light bulb".
Why the silence? After all, there are now FOUR clerks. Yes, that's right, FOUR clerks! One of these clerks is earning a shocking $47.50 per hour. Another part-time clerk earns an amazing $15 per hour. Part-time employees started at $10 per hour in Villa Hills prior to January, 2011.
So why has Pope gone mute? Some suspect that he knows Martin is paying back some of his cronies with taxpayer money. Former council member Cordelia Schaber is the $47.50 per hour clerk. Does the last name ring any bells? Cordelia is the wife of Dale Schaber. The same Dale Schaber who is the co-defendant in the LIBEL, DEFAMATION and SLANDER lawsuit a long-serving Villa Hills' employee recently filed against Mayor Martin.
What has Cordelia Schaber been hired to do? We are told that she is serving as the city's bookkeeper. But then Martin told us she was a CPA as well. Mike Pope embarrassingly disabused Martin - and the taxpayers - of that notion at the September council meeting. Since Cordelia has taken on this important job council has yet to receive an intelligible financial report to review. Martin's actions have once again made council's oversight responsibility more difficult.
Why should you care about four clerks? Think of it this way. There are now more clerks on staff than public works crew on staff to plow the first heavy snow. There are now more clerks on staff than police officers on duty at any time during any day of the week.
Is this just another example of poor leadership by Martin? Or is it something else? Phil Taliaferro is going to be busy, isn't he?
