Portage mayor abuses taxpayers' trust
Chicago Tribune
February 17, 2017
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/opinion/ct-ptb-editorial-snyder-st-0219-20170217-story.html
An indictment doesn't equate to guilt. That determination is left to a judge or a jury.
A federal indictment on corruption charges, however, is at the very least an embarrassment and a serious distraction if you're trying to run a city. By most ethical standards, it should inspire a careful, conservative profile, especially for a city's top-elected official.
Not so with Portage Mayor James Snyder, who's a clear winner over runner-up Lake County Sheriff John Buncich in the "outlandish actions by indicted public officials" category. While the performances don't rise to Hollywood's Academy Award-level, they're all too prevalent in the region.
In Buncich's case, he just wanted was his guns back. Federal agents confiscated his firearms after his arrest last year on corruption charges tied to a towing scheme. Buncich's attorney said the sheriff needed the weapons to perform his duties. The judge disagreed.
Snyder, meanwhile, makes Buncich's request seem reasonable.
He's embarked on a course of maintaining his innocence while enjoying perks at the expense of taxpayers. Snyder, a Republican, took his family and a security detail to Washington last month for President Donald Trump's inauguration. And, while some Portage residents struggle with monthly car payments and bills, Snyder drove a leased Chevrolet Tahoe to Washington that costs the city $800 a month. It's generously equipped with Sirius radio and OnStar.
If the trip wasn't enough to rankle folks, two police officers also drove a city vehicle to Washington because Snyder felt he and his family needed protection as they attended inauguration events. The need for security seems especially curious since Snyder's notoriety doesn't extend much farther than Porter County.
That trip seemingly was the last straw for Democrats who control the city council, which had been co-existing in a bi-partisan fashion with Snyder, who's in his second term as mayor. Together, the council and Snyder had pushed through improvements, including new police and fire stations and a needed renovation at City Hall.
Council members rightly became angered when they found out last year that Snyder attempted to pay a $93,000 legal bill with money from the Utility Services Board, which he chairs. The money was going to go to two law firms representing Snyder in connection with a federal investigation that resulted in bribery and obstruction charges in November. Both law firms returned the checks, saying they represented Snyder, not the utilities board.
Recently, the council moved to strip Snyder of his $30,000 salary and position as chairman of the Utility Services Board. At Snyder's direction, the board hired an Indianapolis law firm, which advised the council that removing Snyder violated state law. Undeterred, the council dumped Snyder. Council President Mark Oprisko warned it might pass an ordinance dissolving the Utility Services Board to save taxpayers from an expensive, lengthy lawsuit pitting the city against its own utilities board.
Clerk-Treasurer Chris Stidham called Snyder's acts "a pattern of disrespect for the taxpayers of Portage … it's just wrong," he said.
We couldn't agree more. A mayor facing federal indictment shouldn't be trekking off to a gala inauguration or charging taxpayers for his own legal troubles. The Portage City Council is safeguarding its taxpayers from Snyder's overreach, which has created a toxic atmosphere in a city with its pride and promise on the line.
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