Politics & Government

U City Mayor Disappointed In Council Members Who Signed No Confidence Statement

University City Mayor Shelley Welsch said she's disappointed that Council members Crow, Sharpe and Price signed No Confidence Statement Concerning City Manager Lehman Walker.

said she is "disappointed" in Council members Terry Crow, Arthur Sharpe Jr. and Byron Price for signing  a in City Manager Lehman Walker.

In an email to University City Patch, Welsch said, "I believe this is retaliation for the reprimand of Councilmember Price." On Monday, in a vote of 4-3, the City Council voted to formally adopt a resolution reprimanding Council member Price for his behavior during a February 14th council meeting.

"I am disappointed that these three members are concentrating on petty “payback” instead of the work of the City," Mayor Welsch wrote in her email.

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The No Confidence Statement said Lehman Walker "has failed to meet the standards of performance,"as prescribed in the Charter and Ordinances of the City, and as assigned to him in compliance with all Council directives, state and federal laws, and policies and rules thereof."

The document goes on to state that "The undersigned council members (Price, Crow and Sharpe) adopt a position of No Confidence in the performance of Lehman Walker in carrying out his duties as city manager."

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Mayor Welsch stands by Walker's performance. "The city manager has made dramatic and positive improvements in our City in the short time he has been with us."

She said Walker has presented a balanced budget to the council, cutting no city services and requesting no tax increases.

"The two previous city managers had put us on a path that, if left unchanged, would have led to fiscal insolvency in the city," she writes.

She goes on to say that "Some members of the Council have difficulty accepting that change was and is needed to put this City on a solid financial footing.  These are the same members who told city residents less than two years ago that city services would have to be cut if taxes were not raised.  University City residents voted against those tax increases."

Council members Lynn Ricci, Stephen Kraft,  L. Michael Glickert and Mayor Shelley Welsch did not sign the No Confidence Statement.  

When reached for comment by University City Patch, Walker also said he felt the (No Confidence Statement) was in "retaliation" for the reprimand of Council member Price.


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