Dallas Cook wants judge to order mayor to stop interfering with his office

City Clerk Dallas Cook has asked City Attorney Garrett Hoerner to seek a court order telling Mayor Mark Eckert to stop interfering with operations of the clerk’s office.

“I demand immediate action filed in the Circuit Court versus Mayor Mark Eckert concerning his direct interference with the separately elected office of the city clerk,” Cook said an email to Hoerner. “Over the last three-plus years, this has been a constant and continual issue. The latest example has forced me to seek a court order directing him to immediately cease all interference with the city clerk’s office.”

Eckert said he thinks Cook’s request is “not only ridiculous, I find it appalling.”

“First of all, as mayor of the city of Belleville, I do not have time to interfere in his office,” Eckert said. “And I am totally disappointed that this young man can have these kinds of outrageous outbursts, when all’s he’s got to do is communicate with my staff or all of us.”

Hoerner said he sent a reply to Cook but could not release it publicly unless Cook waives his right to attorney/client privilege. Cook said that Hoerner told him he would not file the request, and that a citizen could file it if St. Clair County State’s Attorney Brendan Kelly does not.

Cook also sent a copy of his request to Kelly, who said he “doesn’t have any basis to take any action.”

Cook said he will act as his own attorney if he has to seek an injunction.

Cook, who is running for St. Clair County circuit clerk in the November election, was elected as city clerk in 2013 as an independent when he defeated Linda Fields, the longtime clerk. Fields was a member of the same party as Eckert, who took office in December 2004.

Website dispute

Cook said the “latest example” of interference from Eckert involves the posting of archived documents onto the city’s website.

Cook is upset the documents were not posted by the city’s website manager, Sharon Strausbaugh.

But Eckert and Strausbaugh said the documents included personal identity information such as Social Security numbers, and that the staff wanted Hoerner to review the matter before the documents are posted.

Cook said the documents with personal information on them would be in a “private” category that would not be available to the public.

It cost the city about $20,000 to have the documents scanned and about $12,000 for the software to load the documents onto the website, Cook said.

The material would be searchable and some of it dates to the 1800s, Cook said. The material would be in a “read only” format so viewers would not be able to alter them.

“We do this to provide a transparent, you know, open and honest government so that you the citizen can see everything that you’re paying for. After all, this is your government,” Cook said.

Eckert said: “We have to be extremely, extremely careful with the private information as we post and … we have to be very careful that anytime we copy something, or scan something that we are certainly very, very careful of not getting the city in any liability issue as far as posting private information.”

Cook and Eckert disagreed on the language to be used to introduce the documents.

Cook wants the introduction to say, in part, “When I took office in 2013, my platform was based on transparency.”

But Eckert said the city’s website cannot include information about campaign promises.

Verbal volleys

In separate interviews regarding the dispute over the city’s website, Cook and Eckert raised complaints they have had against each other since Cook took office.

Cook sent Hoerner a list of more than two dozen complaints he has had with the city.

“We’ve got a mayor who’s a bully, who thinks he knows what’s right all the time,” Cook said in an interview. “But he’s also a man who doesn’t even use a computer.”

In response, Eckert said, “I don’t hesitate to say when something is concerning me that might put the city of Belleville in jeopardy. So I’m pretty straightforward. Sometimes people don’t like straightforward but I tell the truth and I tell them what I believe is my job to … make sure the city stays out of trouble. But I don’t have a problem making decisions. I’m not a bully.

“I think Dallas’ tactics, when you watch him in some instances, I would say that that doesn’t fit me and he better look in the mirror himself.”

As far as the computer use, Eckert said he gets emails and his calendar on his iPhone and that most of his meetings are conducted in person.

“My job is to promote, sell and to listen and to solve problems for the city, and you can’t do that sitting behind a computer screen,” he said. “I don’t sit on the computer all day. It’s just not me.”

Cook said Eckert and his staff “micromanage” city operations.

“Nobody works with my department,” Cook said. “These people are working against my office.

“Things need to change here at the city of Belleville,” Cook said. “I’ve been a part of that change. I fought that fight every chance that I get and I will not let Mayor Eckert or anybody else stop me from serving the citizens because it’s my job. That’s what I promised to do and I’m proud of the job that I do.”

Eckert replied: “Am I demanding? Do I have high expectations for my staff? Do I make them set goals and continue to look at how we can run the city more efficiently and in a more fiduciary way of being responsible to the taxpayers? Yes I do. I set high standards.

“I want the city clean, I want it safe and I want it to be fair to everybody. That’s not micromanaging. That’s just doing my job.”

Eckert criticized Cook for the amount of time he spends on the job.

“I wish he would come to work every day and do his job,” Eckert said. “And if you talk to anyone and they’re being honest, he’s not here half the time. Now, I’ve avoided that topic for a long time because I have a lot of things going on in the city that I’m responsible for. I take this job very seriously. I put in 60 to 70 hours virtually every week.”

In response, Cook said, “I’ve worked 10 times harder than that man and I’ve done 10 times as many things. And so if I’ve done it in half the time as him, well then good for me. Because I’ve done so much more for this city than that man has done in his whole time as mayor. I work 24/7.”

Cook and Eckert also disagree on how the City Council agenda is set for the regular meetings held twice a month.

Eckert said Cook rarely attends the planning meetings for the City Council agenda.

“The agenda is my office’s responsibility. He has taken the agenda away from me,” Cook said. “They have taken it over and disrespected me. So, no I’m not going to go sit there and watch him run the show when I should be the one in charge of the agenda. We are tired of being micromanaged by them.”

Eckert said he didn’t have problems with the previous clerk in preparing the City Council agenda.

“I would do anything to help him,” Eckert said. “But first of all, he’s got to be there. Second of all, he’s got to want it.”

This story was originally published July 29, 2016 at 3:07 PM with the headline "Dallas Cook wants judge to order mayor to stop interfering with his office."