There had been-and continues to be-nothing but confusion and corruption in the Martin mis-Administration from almost the first day the tiny tyrant took office in January 2011.
- An unrelenting assault on the proven integrity of the Villa Hills Police Department.
- City property destroyed with a backhoe.
- The hiring of and City contracts awarded to taxpayer-funded cronies.
- Computers oddly removed from City premises.
- Allegations of sexual harassment.
- An incredible number of lawsuits.
- Abject failure to adhere to State Open Records laws.
- Reprimands from the City's Ethics Board.
- Illegally destroyed City records.
- A cover-up about the illegal destruction of City records.
- City budget amendment after City budget amendment.
- Harsh judicial reprimands to the mayor for illegal destruction of City records.
- And much, much more.
Instead, Martin proceeded to dodge, dip, duck, dive and dodge. Why? Perhaps because LIES had always been an effective tool Martin employed to extricate himself from every previous situation.
After many months of Martin's mendacity, the City Council decided to hire a Special Counsel to investigate the diminutive dictator's waste, fraud and abuse. The council had every legal right to do so. But they paid a very heavy price for simply asking for some honesty and accountability from the executive branch of Villa Hills City government.
Martin did what Martin always does when he is caught in LIES. He attacked. Aided by his hillbilly lynchmob, people whose toilets he left church to unclog and other nefarious and willing accomplices, Martin launched a full-scale attack on the majority of councilmembers who were simply doing their sworn duty.
After a thorough Special Counsel investigation of Martin's waste, fraud and abuse, that council majority voted to hold a hearing with the potential of removing the miscreant mayor from office. That hearing was held one year ago this week.
The removal hearing was an amazing spectacle. Special Counsel laid out damning facts against Martin. Martin's personal-and now City-attorney Toad V. McMurtry resorted to accusing the Villa Hills Police leadership of planting evidence, lying and other unethical-and illegal-behavior.
Martin was buttressed by the fact that former Councilmen Jim Noll and Mike Pope had already announced that they would never vote to remove Martin-no matter the evidence. Why? Some suggest it was because Pope was incapable of ever admitting he is wrong and because Noll was being benefited in his failed State Senate campaign by Martin's wife, Janet. We aren't sure. But how ever you slice it, the fact that those two were seated on a jury tasked with impartially judging Martin's obvious corruption is hard to explain.
Despite the fact that Martin was CONVICTED ON SEVEN OF NINE COUNTS OF OFFICIAL MISCONDUCT AND NEGLECT OF DUTY, Pope and Noll refused to vote to remove Martin from office. What Pope and Noll did was no surprise. And it also created a great political opportunity for Martin.
Martin and his willing accomplices successfully convinced Villa Hills voters that all would be well if the previous council was removed from office in the 2012 election. Voters were also whipped up about the money spent on the Special Counsel investigation. The voters-desperate for a return to some kind of normalcy-gave Martin what he was asking. Only to later learn that Martin had cut himself a check larger than the one paid to Special Counsel.
The result? Another year of more turmoil, waste, fraud and abuse. It is worse than it ever was. This year has been an abject disaster that is the sole responsibility of Martin and his willing accomplices. And there is more than another year to go until the next election.
Oh, by the way, the Villa Hills monthly televised Council meeting will be held tonight. The collection and expenditure of large amounts of taxpayer money will be discussed and perhaps action taken. There is a great deal at stake. Just as there was one year ago.
Will the voters correct their mistakes from the past two election cycles 377 days from now?
