UPDATE: Steve Wagoner has informed the Mayor, Council and Borough of Oakland that:
“After much thought I have decided to sue the Mayor and Council and the Borough of Oakland in Superior Court for my unlawful removal from the Recreation Commission.”
UPDATE: Steve Wagoner has informed the Mayor that he intends to fulfill his full term on the Recreation Commission.
While scandal is surrounding the Oakland Police Department, the Oakland Mayor and Town Council are enmeshed with the restructuring of the Recreation Commission.
Below is a letter from Mayor Szabo demanding the immediate resignation of the Chair of the Rec Commission, Steve Wagoner. When contacted to confirm the contents of the letter, Wagoner’s immediate reaction was “What ever happened to free speech?”
The letter is in response to Wagoner’s defense of the Recreation Commission during a recent town council meeting. To see the rebroadcast of the February 9th Mayor and Council Meeting tune into channel 45 or 77 at 1am, 12pm or 8pm.
Mr. Wagner(sic).
Your actions of last evening, wherein you openly challenged my
executive right to make legitimate and legal appointments to the Recreation
Commission and your clear and direct threats to me regarding the political
consequences of my decisions, is unacceptable, in subordinate and not in
the best interest of the Commission or the community we serve. I believe
you have seriously compromised your ability to function as an objective
member of the Commission. You therefore, leave me no choice but to demand
your immediate resignation.
Please turn over all keys, documents and any other Borough property you may
have in your possession to Richard Kunze immediately. Your anticipated
cooperation would be in the best interest of all concerned.
John P. Szabo, Jr., Mayor
How can the mayor dismiss someone for political reasons? I thought commissions were non-political?
To The Honorable Szabo
I’m just thinking out loud here. It seems to me that the mayor may have a couple of other things to focus his valuable time on, like maybe the downtown redevelopment project,
problems at the police department the Stream house fiasco and what about the library? Why would you want to make changes to a program that has been rated # 9 in the entire country “just to see what happens”? That’s what you said at the meeting, hmmm. Is it possible your trying to destroy it by gutting the most productive unbiased members, could it be that your real agenda is to put your $103,000 rec director in, hmm, I’m just saying!!. Maybe we should put a Democrat in the mayors seat in November, you know, just to see what happens!
Signed
Give me a break
While Mr Wagoner should not have made a political comment to the mayor, I must disagree with the mayor and borough attorney regarding the legality of removing a board member without cause. This action is a potentially slippery slope where all volunteer board members (thank goodness for their service to our community) may lose their independence in decision-making for fear of retribution.
It is time for all good people of Oakland to voice their opinions. Write a letter to the editor, go to a council meeting, but please get involved in YOUR town!!
If I’m late for the meeting it will be because I’m stuck in traffic waiting for the downtown project to be completed- promised 8 years ago…