The Heights of Hypocritical Transparency

[XLFD]

Richmond Heights is a small city of 11,000 people in Ohio, just slightly bigger than Ludington.  Like Ludington, they recently elected a new mayor who ran on a platform of improving the city's transparency, and garnered the votes necessary to get a mandate of open government started. 

 

And like Ludington, the first few months have been difficult for transparency.  In Ludington, Mayor Ryan Cox has been unwilling to open up the records concerning the Ludington Police Department's Reserve Officer program, while insisting implicitly his police sergeant status is not incompatible with his office of mayor.  Nor has he shown any inclination to change any of the Ludington FOIA policies that have been officially modified three times, always against improving transparency, over the last four years to open up the records of the city.

 

Mayor Miesha Headen of Richmond Heights has fired several employees and prompted other employees to resign in her short tenure; she is apparently trying to micro-manage the city of 11,000 by herself.   Headen fired Prosecutor Jonathan Greenburg a week after she terminated longtime Law Director Todd Hunt. Both work for Walter Haverfield law firm in Cleveland. Greenburg was with Richmond Heights since 2007. He made $24,000 per year, according to his personnel file.

 

Service Director Donald Lazar is retiring today, and Building Inspector Jim Uranker resigned, effective today. Building Commissioner Phil Seyboldt announced last week that he would retire June 6.  The mayor’s new special assistant, Brandye Mells, has been suspended as she faces criminal charges in Toledo, according to Roche.  Including Greenburg, the mayor has fired six employees since she took office in December. Four have resigned or retired.  This is according to Northeast Ohio Media Group's reporter Sara Dorn's article.

 

The criminal charges against Assistant Mayor Mells were keyed on by this interview conducted by Sara Dorn outside the City Hall on public property.  Dorn makes it known that she had several unanswered phone calls by the 'committed to transparency' mayor in the video that follows.  The interview begins with an aggressive act against this reporter's camera, and a clear misunderstanding about the laws of recording public officials in public. 

Dorn was attempting to ask Headen whether she knew about any charges against Brandye Mells, the mayor’s assistant. Mells is the subject of two criminal cases in Toledo Municipal Court, according to court records. She is charged with attempted forgery and theft, and a warrant was issued for her arrest on the theft charge in July 2007.

Headen took exception to being video recorded and pushed the camera away, telling Dorn she doesn’t give her permission to take her picture.

Dorn can be heard yelling, “Excuse me m’am, do not attack me,” while Headen pushes the camera. As the video goes on, Dorn follows Headen to her car and asks about the recent firing of the law and finance directors in Richmond Heights.

“I had a lot of questions and I can never get a hold of her on the phone so I jumped at the opportunity to talk to her,” Dorn said. She approached Headen after a Richmond Heights meeting about renovations to Cuyahoga County Airport.

It's too bad her commitment to transparency that she trumpets, is not equaled to her commitment to avoid reporters and their questions about public policy.  And it would be nice if the Richmond Heights Police Department could look closely at how their mayor parks her vehicle; it looks as if it is illegally parked in the video. 

[Willy]

I hope that reporter stays the course and doesn't get intimidated by the Mayor. I want to know the answers to her questions and I don't even live there. Amazing how these politicians think the don't have to answer to anyone. X, you should obtain some "press credentials" and do some of your own video interviews with Ludington's elite group of public officials who think they are above the people who elected them and who they work for.

http://www.ia-pp.com/en/presspass-credentials.html

[wildfire]

Wow it sounds like this MS Headen could go some good in mason county curcuit n district courts, i think she would get their heads rolling, lol

[AQUAMAN]

Obama sets a prime example for Headen to follow. 

[Jeremy Kumin]

You will be pleased to know that on September 23rd, residents of the City of Richmond Heights voted to recall Miesha Headen as Mayor by a vote of 1573 to 1163.  Hard work and persistence paid off.

[XLFD]

Awesome news, Jeremy, and very timely.  Here's a report from Cleveland.com on the successful recall.  Thanks for letting us know.

[Jeremy Kumin]

It is, believe me, my pleasure to do so.  I had found your site back in July and used it as inspiration and confirmation of the loss of the City's reputation outside of our suburb.  That is one of many reasons we listed to recall our Mayor.  Good luck in your efforts to keep your politicians responsive to the people they serve.

[XLFD]

Wow!  Thanks for paying that inspiration forward.  You just made my day and bolstered my own hope about making some better progress with our own local unresponsive politicians someday soon.