Yepper, you read that headline correctly. Last night, after an executive session the council came in to vote on giving Nolan Sunderman, our not so illustrious city manager (IMHO) a 25% salary increase.
The council was actually split 4-4, with Zimmerman, Constance, Larson-Bunnell and Chalfie in favor of it and Jenkins, Kemmling, Thomas and Knappen opposed. So, how did it get approved? Easy, our mayor, Michelle Distler voted to break the tie and give Sunderman that raise which should take him a step or two north of $180K per year.
What a travesty. What about the folks on the city payroll who really do the hard day to day work? You know, the folks that toil in all kinds of weather to keep your streets functional, your parks usable, your neighborhoods safe from crime, risking their own well being on fire calls, providing emergency medical treatment to you or a loved one? I could go on and on about that. Will the not so fabulous four and the mayor vote to give ALL employees an across the board 25% raise? What kind of message did they send to city employees with that vote?
Let's look at the four council members who voted to give the city manager that outrageous increase:
Matt Zimmerman -Ward 1-Was also strongly in favor of taxing the citizens for the community center. Does he really care about the people in Shawnee?
Lisa Larson-Bunnell -Ward 3-Another council member who pushed for the community center and the disgusting burden it would have placed on the folks that make Shawnee home.
Lindsey Constance -Ward 4- And yet another council member who tried to push for the community center. Ya had to be at some of the community meetings to hear the misinformation she was putting out there. And she wants to represent Shawnee in the state senate!!
Jill Chalfie -Ward 4- Watch her at council meetings as she looks up at Constance with puppy dog eyes as if to ask "What do I do?"
And then the person that broke the tie, Mayor Distler. Like Brutus to Caesar, she plunged a knife into the backs of the people of Shawnee.
Side note: Zimmerman, Larson-Bunnell, and Constance are up for reelection in 2021. Remember that if they choose to run again. And Constance is up for the State Senate seat this year.
A big thank you to Jenkins, Thomas, Kemmling and Knappen for trying to do the right thing. Sorry that you folks got shot down by uncaring fools.
