City councilmen attempt to deflect blame

by M. Stewart
After reading "EL Planning Department under fire" in today's Review, I'm starting to wonder if some of our city council members are confused about their role in government. Specifically, council's job is to legislate (pass laws) and appropriate (allocate revenue). In more general terms, council members represent the interests of their constituents at city hall, not their own personal business interests. Council seems to be moving in a direction where members assume they deserve privileged status.

There is a name for that: It's called "political corruption." Rather than draw attention to their transgressions, politicians normally try to avoid excessive publicity of their mistakes. I said "normally."

According to the Review, Councilman Ray Perorazio spent Monday night going after planning department head Bill Cowan after receiving notice of illegal construction at his business. Quoted in the paper, Perorazio said, "I thought I could have gotten away with it."

Huh? Am I reading that right? He thought he could get away with it?

According to the paper, Perorazio "admitted he was in error and restated that position Monday night," yet he went on to accuse Cowan of dishonesty, claiming some discrepancy about the size of the building addition in question. He expressed concern about the "threatening letters" sent to violators of city ordinances because they "scare property owners."

Perhaps most disturbing is Perorazio's demand that such letters be stopped. The councilman is quoted in the Review as saying, "I want these letters stopped, and I want the letters stopped now or I'm not going to vote for anything for the Planning Department."

Here's what I think:

Bill Cowan is doing his job, and he is doing it very well, just as he has done during his many years of service to this city. Hey, it's just a building permit. If you forget to obtain a permit, pay the fine or whatever and let it go. It doesn't look good, but so what? This stuff happens.

Even so, city council members are high-profile citizens, and they have a special obligation to adhere to the very ordinances passed and enacted by their own political body. Announcing the intent to target the planning department merely because it holds them to the same standard as others who violate ordinances isn't a good idea, not to mention the dangerous signal it sends to other city residents.

Council is not a group of political bosses who tell city officials what to do and how to do it. As far as I know, the planning director does not work for council. Nobody does. Mayor Swoger said Perorazio is motivated by a personal vendetta against Cowan. For his part, Perorazio is quoted as saying that the personal vendetta is Cowan's.

Based upon what I read in the newspaper--and I realize there is always more to it--Perorazio appears to be lashing out because the system worked, and he's going after those responsible for enforcing the ordinance he ignored. To be honest, I didn't think it was that big of a deal until he brought it back to public's attention..

The newspaper account indicates that Perorazio has council allies in Brian Kerr and Ryan Stovall. Kerr recently was called out by the planning department for illegal temporary signage at his downtown business. Based on newspaper reports, Kerr responded to the complaint responsibly. But ganging up to discredit the planning director is not good politics. It is a transparent attempt to bully a long-time city employee who has a solid reputation for competence and integrity.

If council members don't like an ordinance, let them go through the process of securing the votes to change that ordinance. That is within their power. It is ridiculous to use council meetings as a forum to declare a personal war on a city official who merely is doing his job.