Two Thanksgivings before this one, the City of Scottville began a descent into utter chaos that it still hasn't recovered from.  It began when their pregnant city manager, Courtney Magaluk, was close to going on maternity leave and close to missing a deadline with some important paperwork.  Police Chief Matt Murphy, without any experience as a city manager, was scheduled to be taking over as an interim city manager, and decided to step into the role early during the Thanksgiving weekend.

Murphy and City Treasurer would reportedly spend over 30 hours compiling the information for what should have taken two hours at worst, Magaluk claimed she could do it in one-twentieth of the time but was never consulted or even contacted even though she hadn't went on leave.  Murphy would fulfill the rest of the coup when he, City Attorney Carlos Alvarado and Mayor Marcy Spencer were chosen as a committee to investigate the affair.  And even though the investigation was far from showing Magaluk had any notable dereliction of duty, even in expanding the probe, the damage was such that the relationship was irreparable; Chief Murphy would retain the title of city manager (interim) until May of 2021, after over six months in the dual role.

Murphy's short reign was notable for two things widespread corruption (particularly on his part) and the degeneration of the city commission into defenders and apologists for the widespread corruption.  The Ludington Torch exposed many of these just due to their efforts in getting information, and confirmed the deeds over the course of a lawsuit filed listing nine distinct counts of violations during the Murphy era, but here's a short list:

Earning Comp Time as Chief/City Manager:  Murphy was ineligible for earning compensation time via the law and city policy, but claimed tons of comp time during this period; other city hall workers were complicit since they were getting paid overtime for no reason.

Open Meetings Act violations:  the investigating committee mentioned never followed the OMA as it conducted a governmental function granted solely to the city commission in the city charter.

Failure to produce a budget on time:  Deep into his interim post, Murphy failed to present a budget to the council in accordance with the charter.  No excuse was given.

Shutting down FiveCap for doing its job:  after observing but not documenting subjective Covid violations, Murphy targeted the black women director of a non-profit providing essential services of providing food during the Covid-19 emergency. 

Lying on a police report:  after removing a citizen sitting quietly from a meeting in violation of the OMA, Murphy wrote a police report fictionally embellishing the facts in grand fashion.

Attempted public extortion:  Murphy tried to charge $16.50 for public records already shared with other news agencies for free, a misdemeanor.

Destroying public records:  Murphy destroyed the invoice he used for attempted public extortion after asserting that he would release it through the FOIA process, a misdemeanor.

Destroying evidence of a crime:  In destroying the invoice, evidence that public extortion was attempted, he committed a felony.

So you get the point that Murphy was doing a lot of things wrong, but the most shocking thing happening was that the city commission was doing nothing other than allowing him to continue violating rules and laws, and at the top of Murphy's defenders was Clowncilor Rob Alway (pictured left), noting many of the above violations in his 'journalistic' effort called the Mason County Press in a positive light, if not totally defending them.  This was highlighted twice: 1) when Alway was asked to comment about the citizen who Murphy threw out of a meeting by that citizen after that meeting, Alway yelled "F--k you" and 2) in another meeting, Alway would read a comment targeting that citizen's involvement at meetings (which consisted primarily of offering comments about city officials violating the law) and fully supporting Murphy's past actions (Alway would, like Murphy, destroy his speech, a public record, in defiance of the FOIA).

In an ironic twist, Alway's views on Murphy has changed after a heated disagreement between the new city manager, Jimmy Newkirk, and the chief ballooned into a very public dispute that led to the resignation of Chief Murphy and the city attorney.  The Scottville commission has broken down the middle on whose side to back, with Commissioners Graham, Yeomans, Thue (who failed as a write-in candidate to be relected), and newly elected Pettit, allegedly backing the police chief, while Commissioners Seiter, Copenhager, along with outgoing Spencer and Alway (who has resigned but has yet to have it accepted by the commission) backing the beleaguered Newkirk.

Alway's resignation letter indicates that he not only backs Newkirk without reservation, but also that the contingent that backs Murphy to the point of reinstating him is the reason why he is deserting the ship.  So while Alway defended Murphy's criminal behavior by his biased articles and statements made during and after meetings back in 2021, he now appears to be actively searching for reasons to write articles showing that former Chief Murphy was a bad actor all along, out for glory and money.  

A case in point, his recent article "Scottville owes employees thousands in pension payments" paints a portrait of Murphy showing that the commission voted for benefits for all employees back when he was the ACM, but then kept the benefits only to himself and others in the police department, not the other full-time employees of the City of Scottville.

"During the April 5, 2021 regular meeting of the City Commission, commissioners passed resolution 21-07 offering city employees a “457 plan” from the Municipal Employees’ Retirement System. The plan offered a 6% match from the city of what the city’s full-time employees contributed to the plan...  The resolution called for the plan to be offered to city employees retroactive to March 2020, when Murphy was hired as police chief...

Newkirk said while investigating the program, he became aware that the acting city manager had only offered the program to the full-time police officers and not the rest of the city’s full time employees, as instructed by the commission... Newkirk said the error will cost “tens of thousands of dollars” to the city’s taxpayers."

Nearly two years after what appears to be a clerical error made by Murphy that may affect only five other full-time employees of Scottville by matching 6% of retirement contributions to a plan, it becomes a large burden on the city's taxpayers.  If Newkirk's estimation of the impact is accurate, which it isn't, these five will have needed to minimally contribute over $330,000 of their salary to their 457 retirement plans since March 2020.   A good editor would point out such inaccuracies unless they are involved with a propaganda campaign.

The error shows that Matt Murphy was either inept by not adding the other 5 employees or corrupt by keeping the benefit for only himself and his department, but this was already well known back when we were reporting on the ineptitude and corruption of the Murphy administration back in 2020 and 2021. 

But former Commissioner Rob Alway is only able to admit a minor issue now that he is trying to discredit the chief and fight against his reinstatement by a faction of the city commission that has only grown stronger with the resignation of Rob Alway.  Expect this contingent to fight back at the next city commission meeting on Monday, when they should have a quorum to do business of the city.

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What a nightmare for the citizens of Scottville. If it hadn't been for your articles X, most of this fiasco would have been under the radar and out of the spot light. Most of Scottville would never have known what City Hall was up to.

I greatly appreciate the good people of Scottville for networking with me at times to assist me in attempting to understand and report the many issues currently facing Scottville.  It's a lot of information to coordinate at times.  For everything I uncover on my own, I learn more from listening to the townsfolk who are often more than eager to get the City back on track.

X, your talent to listen to others with compassion for civil rights, your compassion to do what is ethically right and your tenacity to fight would make you a great civil servant, in my opinion and observation. It is a shame after following politics in Ludington for over 12 years, that a city has been such a clique of bullies who for the most part has shamed you for pointing out injustice, does not really listen to or work for its citizens but has an agenda pushed by workers for their own agendas and for their paycheck and big pensions. Interesting and sad what is going on in Scottville.

Being bullied and slandered by the enemies of open and accountable government and freedom who are masquerading as public servants is generally a recognition that one is doing something worthwhile. 

But even better than that is when someone whose name actually means "one who seeks freedom" when translated into English acknowledges and approves of the means and ends of one's own personal quest for liberty and justice.  Thank you.

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