Salary ordinance discussion gets heated in Portage
Post-Tribune
June 07, 2017
A relatively routine Portage Common Council meeting Tuesday night collapsed into name-calling, finger-pointing, a sudden adjournment, accusations of grandstanding and intervention by police.
After hosting officials from U.S. Steel, who appeared before the council to discuss the April 11 toxic spill from their Midwest plant, the council turned to discussion of a salary ordinance for city workers, an issue that was a late addition to the meeting agenda.
Some council members complained about what they apparently viewed as Mayor James Snyder's mishandling of employee salaries during the discussion.
Snyder, excused himself from the meeting before the steel plant officials began speaking to attend a family function, but returned after receiving text message updates from staffers on the council's heated discussion of the salary ordinance.
As he re-entered the meeting hall, Snyder asked for the front row of audience chairs and ordered department heads attending the meeting to fill those seats. Several council members erupted with charges Snyder was "grandstanding" and trying to take over the council meeting, and they successfully called for a voice vote to adjourn the meeting.
Snyder called for the council to remain as several council members, including Liz Modesto, D-1st, and Patrick Clem, D-2nd, continued to accuse Snyder of grandstanding as they left the room. Snyder then called Clem a "coward."
"The situation is it just escalated," Snyder said Wednesday. "I probably shouldn't have gone back to the meeting, but this is not about me and my reputation. Its about the hard-working people of Portage who work every day and about them getting the compensation they deserve, and I'm gonna be passionate about it."
Snyder continued to discuss the ordinance with union officials and council members as they spilled into the hallway and down the stairs at Woodland Park's Sycamore Hall.
Clem, who physically towers over the mayor, and Snyder continued their debate as the group left the building, with Clem telling Snyder to meet "in my neighborhood" as Snyder ridiculed Clem for his weight and body size.
Once outside, the argument continued and the two elected officials got face-to-face. Snyder accused Clem of "chest-bumping" him.
Moments later, a Portage Police officer helped defuse the situation by separating the men.
"I was attacked by the City of Portage mayor calling me names, in public, saying that I'm nothing but a big, fat coward, and he repeatedly calling me coward," Clem said. "I don't wanna be the bad guy, but I think (Snyder) owes everyone in that room and our city's constituents an apology."
Even after they were separated, the dispute continued, Clem and Snyder said. Snyder approached Clem and two other council members in the parking lot, sparking another intervention by police officers.
"You had two men who were passionate about their issues who had a dispute," Snyder said. "Yes, it reflects poorly on the city, but we've had a few of those bad nights. I wish it hadn't happened, but the city's going to be all right, and we'll get through this."
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