What do David Koresh, The Reverend Jim Jones and Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin have in common? Koresh and Jones both had apocalyptic visions, a messianic complex and they led their respective organizations along to their own personal Armageddon. Martin is from the exact same, odd mold. Koresh and Jones are fading into history. Martin appears to be destined to share the same dust bin. The Martin Chronicles sincerely hopes that when the Villa Hills “complex” burns to the ground there is but one inhabitant inside. But that is still a very open question.
The Martin Chronicles has learned that Martin is going to ask City Council to join him in a political suicide pact at tonight’s Council meeting. If for no other reason than to watch Martin’s imitation of Jones and Koresh, we suggest you tune in to Insight Channel 16 at 7 o’clock.
What have we learned Martin wants council to do? First, a little review is in order. For more than a year Martin has fumbled, stumbled and bungled his way in to more than $150,000 in police overtime expenses. The Department of Labor is now breathing down Martin’s neck, wanting to know why one particular employee has not been paid the overtime he has rightfully earned. Martin got what he wanted. He always pushed for this employee to be paid on the basis of “time and material”. The result has been an unmitigated disaster.
If Martin doesn’t deal with the mess he has created soon, he will be adding financial insult to grievous taxpayer injury in the form of interest and penalties imposed by the aforementioned Department of Labor. He has no one to blame but himself. But as we have learned, accepting responsibility is never “The Martin Way”.
Why the mayoral disastrous dithering? Because Martin is scared to death to admit that he is solely responsible for flushing more than $150,000 in taxpayer money down a Norwood sewer rat hole. His unprofessional mismanagement has proven to be far more than a very costly embarrassment.
Now the answer to what Martin is requesting of council. Sources tell us that the mayor wants council to vote to approve paying the $100,000 in overtime to the particular employee.
Why would council even think about thinking about thinking about thinking about putting their “fingerprints” on Martin’s mess? Council doesn’t need to vote to pay the employee. The law mandates that Martin must cut the check. In our view, Martin is simply looking for a way to share the blame for his colossal foul-up. We sincerely hope council declines to accommodate the mismanaging mayor. Hiring the eighth police officer when the Police Chief and council requested Martin do so more than a year ago would have prevented all of this.
Every time the request was made to hire the eighth officer, the mayor would beat his chest and say “NO!” Martin would say, “I am the CEO. It is my decision. Get over it. We’re moving on.” To this day, whenever Martin is asked to reconsider his vengeance-fueled decision, Martin says, “Don’t go there!” The Martin Chronicles warned that these words would come back to haunt. Now “haunt” those words most certainly do. Why should council agree to share in Martin’s blame?
Suppose someone, like say Councilman Mike Pope, insists that council approve a budget amendment tonight in order to pay the employee. Again, council shouldn’t think about thinking about thinking about thinking about doing so. Why? Because that is nothing more than a deceptive attempt to get council to endorse Martin’s wretched mismanagement.
Only one budget amendment should be necessary. That amendment would be approved at the end of the fiscal year. Hopefully, Martin will be long gone by then. In the meantime, council should let Martin and his buddies Pope and $47.50 per hour clerk/bookkeeper, crony-hire Cordelia Schaber sort out Martin’s six-figure screw-up. The mayor created this fiscal debacle all on his own.
Much like Jones and Koresh, Martin is threatening disaster. The mayor warns council that if they don’t succumb to his blackmail-and that is exactly what this is- he will lay-off four employees. What should council say? “Go ahead, mayor.” Then watch the residents engage in what will be a loud, public conflagration. Only one person needs to vacate “the Branch Norwoodian compound” And just who is that? Why, that would be Mayor Mike Martin. But the messianic mayor won’t go quietly. No matter. The time has long past to force the issue. Before the City is past the point of repair.
The Martin Chronicles knows this is harsh-and absolutely true. Mayor Martin is pathetic. He has no problem beating his chest, proclaiming that he is “the CEO” who has virtually unlimited authority. But what the Third World Dictator-wannabe won’t ever do is accept the responsibility that comes with what he believes is his boundless authority. If four employees are terminated, it will be the sole fault of the mayor’s abject inability to lead. Council will have no responsibility for the inevitable diminishment in services that will be sure to follow.
For what it’s worth, The Martin Chronicles strongly recommends that council-including the suddenly unpredictable Greg Kilburn-loudly declines Martin’s “gracious” offer for a cup of his special blend of Kool-Aid tonight. When Martin asks council to amend the budget and vote to endorse his horrible mishandling of overtime hours, they should succinctly respond, “Mr. Mayor, this is your mess. You are “the CEO”. Get over it. Council is moving on”.
