Don't misunderstand. We're all for an open, rigorous debate of the issues in government forums. Too often, public business gets done behind closed doors, or members of public bodies agree on everything and discuss very little. In those cases, everyone suffers.
But in Bluffdale, where City Council meetings turn into shouting matches that sometimes last until midnight, and where the mayor and council feud like the Hatfields and the McCoys, the debate itself has become the issue, and nobody benefits.
The contentious relationship between Mayor Claudia Anderson and the five-member council began shortly after her election in November 2005, and has escalated instead of abated.
It has resulted in a game of musical chairs in the administrative offices, a series of expensive lawsuits, an attempt to limit the right of the public to speak at meetings, and the utter waste of taxpayers' dollars.
Anderson has twice fired the city's administrative services director, who received a $60,000 severance package this week, and tried to replace him with her former campaign manager. And she has twice sued the City Council, which tried to strip her of her executive powers. The legal bills in defense of the lawsuits exceed $60,000.
Not to be outdone, council member Bill Maxwell has accused Anderson of turning the city newsletter into a "political rag." Council member Martha Speed described Anderson's reign as one of "tyrannical oppression." And council member Jesse Kelley, during an April 10 meeting, hummed "God Bless America" as the mayor read her monthly report, while other council members laughed and rolled their eyes.
That's not the half of it. We could go on and on citing instances of inappropriate behavior. But, like the sophomoric actions of the council and the mayor, it does not serve the public well.
It is not our intent to take sides here, or to analyze the issues. This is more about style than substance. And both sides in this debate lack any semblance of style.
Frankly, the 6,000-plus citizens of Bluffdale deserve better. It's time for the mayor and the City Council to grow up, or step down.
