Citizens deserve better
Published 9:21 am Thursday, August 12, 2010
The fuse that ignited Lynnwood’s latest political blowup was lit months ago. The explosion left scars all around, some of which aren’t likely to heal.
Mayor Don Gough, who seems to breathe animosity, was asked to step down by a fed-up City Council in a 6-1 vote Monday night. Council members cited the results of an outside investigation they commissioned into Gough’s alleged misconduct toward city staff, and his alleged interference with that probe.
Along with the call for his resignation, the council stripped the mayor of certain powers, making virtually all personnel decisions related to hiring, promotions or discipline subject to its review and approval.
After the vote, another bombshell was dropped. Five high-level city employees, all women, submitted a letter to the council stating that they had “been subjected to a hostile and harassment-based working environment since (Gough’s) initial election four and a half years ago.”
In April, the mayor’s executive assistant received a $49,500 payment when she left her job after accusing the mayor of demeaning and belittling her. That’s what prompted the council’s investigation, which has so far cost taxpayers more than $30,000.
Against a deteriorating fiscal picture — Gough’s finance director resigned in a huff in March after some heated budget meetings with the council — Gough’s notoriously poor interpersonal skills are the last thing the city needs. We cited them in our endorsement of his opponent last fall, and it’s apparent they haven’t improved.
We can’t, however, join the council’s call for Gough’s resignation without having read the report on which it was based. The council, under an outside attorney’s advice, decided to give Gough 10 days to challenge the report’s release.
The report should have been made public before the council took action, giving citizens enough information to fully understand the council’s vote. Councilman Mark Smith had the right idea when he moved to delay the vote by a week, but the motion failed, 4-3.
The council’s haste, even if it was intended to protect city employees from potential retaliation, created a layer of secrecy that flies in the face of Washington’s strong public disclosure laws. It was a particularly ironic move by council members who have frequently accused the mayor of a lack of transparency on budget matters.
That doesn’t lessen the gravity of the charges against Gough, though. The council plans to release the report at 5 p.m. Thursday. Citizens, we suspect, will be eager to hear the mayor’s response.
