The City Council Shell Game

Just when I thought I had seen everything, The Walsenburg City Council showed me a new trick on Tuesday. August 2.  The agenda item that caught my eye was the one about contracting police service out and closing down the city police department.

I support law enforcement and the police officers in our city, state and nation which is more than anyone can say for our current president.  My argument is that there is money spent on duplication of services that our city can not afford.  Another thing that has bothered me is that the majority of WPD officers receive a pay check from Walsenburg and spend it where they reside in Pueblo.

We need all the revenue we can get.  The discussion and resolution of the question about contracting police service through the Huerfano Sheriff's department was of interest to all those who went to the council meeting.  Imagine the surprise we got when we were escorted out of the room so the council could discuss this question in executive session after it was listed as an agenda item.

Because we were not allowed to attend the discussion of this important question, we do not know all that was said.  The best information I could garner was that the city attorney had announced earlier that there was not a conflict of interest for the council members to vote on the issue.  Suddenly on the night of the meeting, the source of legal advice said that it would be highly unethical for the law enforcement officers on the council to vote.  How this important revelation came to the attorney was not revealed.

I believe it was highly unethical for city council men to refrain from representing their constituencies on important questions such as this.  By shaming the city council members into abstaining from voting, the battle was over for those of us who wanted to contract services.  It was a great example of how to manipulate a council and win the vote. The vote was 2-2 after  three councilmen abstained.