The Martin Chronicles strongly suggests that every resident check out Villa Hills malfeasant Mayor Mike Martin's City website. When they do, they will read that Martin has called for yet another hastily convened Special Meeting tonight.
Not surprisingly, Martin wants to take City Council behind closed doors once again "to discuss pending or threatened litigation and discussions that may lead to the appointment, dismissal, or discipline of an individual employee". One of the recurring themes of Martin's nearly three dreadful years in the mayor's office has been "pending or threatened litigation". So what's the rush?
Here's a major clue. Martin is also going to ask City Council to take action on Municipal Order 2013-14, "A municipal order of the City of Villa Hills Kentucky agreeing to the terms and conditions contained in an agreement to facilitate the resolution of current legal actions and future liability between the City of Villa Hills and Joseph A. Schutzman".
Now this is damned odd. We know that Martin is currently squandering taxpayer money in a lawsuit against Schutzman Inspection Services. We also know that Martin is also currently squandering even more taxpayer money on attorneys and a lawsuit against the City's Civil Service Commission. You may recall that Martin wants to wrest away the Civil Service Board's duly enacted authority in personnel matters.
Oh, this is damned odd indeed. Martin did not ask for City Council's imprimatur to file the lawsuits against Schutzman Inspection Services or the City's Civil Service Commission. So, a reasonable person could wonder why he would ask for a City Council sign-off on a dismissal of those lawsuits.
So what is this all about? We can tell you that speculation is running wild amongst our many sources. Some of what these sources believe what Martin might ask City Council to approve should be very troubling to the taxpayers of Villa Hills.
We do know that Martin and others attended an out-of-town meeting last Wednesday. By all reliable accounts, that meeting involved an effort to resolve a personal lawsuit filed against Martin for LIBEL, SLANDER and DEFAMATION. Why are we confident that lawsuit is personal? Because a respected judge's ruling has already exempted the taxpayers of Villa Hills from any liability for Martin's LIBEL, SLANDER and DEFAMATION.
Here is the growing concern being expressed by people who have been paying close attention to this mess. Martin may be desperately looking for a way to extricate himself from the potential personal liability his LIBEL, SLANDER and DEFAMATION has created. And just how might Martin do this? By convincing City Council that it is somehow in the City of Villa Hills best interest to approve a settlement that will involve the expenditure of some amount of taxpayer money to resolve his personal legal difficulties.
The obvious question? Why should the taxpayers pay any amount of money to settle a personal liability Martin and his surrogates have created for themselves through their reckless-and intentional-LIBEL, SLANDER and DEFAMATION? It defies common sense.
Let's say that some high-priced attorneys are convinced that they have found some arcane loophole in the State statutes that strictly prohibit expending public funds on private issues. So what? Sure, they may be able to twist the State statutes to somehow say that spending taxpayer money to resolve Martin's personal lawsuit is "legal". But it would still clearly be WRONG.
Martin was the one who LIBELED, SLANDERED and DEFAMED his way in to the mayor's office in 2010. If Martin is finally held personally accountable for that LIBEL, SLANDER and DEFAMATION, the taxpayers should absolutely not be forced to bail him out.
All eyes should be on City Council tonight.
