Belleville official accuses alderman of spreading lies about him at council meeting
The Belleville City Council meeting got off to a rocky start Tuesday night, when a city employee stepped up to the microphone and accused an alderman of spreading lies about him.
Director of Human Resources and former Police Chief Bill Clay spoke during the time normally reserved for public comment. He said Ward 4 Alderman Raffi Ovian had falsely told current Police Chief Matt Eiskant, and possibly others, that Clay was planning to run for mayor and, if elected, he would fire Eiskant.
Clay said Eiskant recounted an Aug. 29 conversation with Ovian to Mayor Patty Gregory, who called Clay to inform him on Tuesday morning.
“I chose to address this matter during the public participation because these rumors were spread by council members,” Clay said. “There are no truths in them. None. They are lies and nothing more.
“Alderperson Ovian could’ve contacted me. He has my phone number. He could’ve reached out to me, but he did not do so. Instead, he opted to advance these insidious, divisive — and they are divisive — lies.”
At times, Ovian shook his head during Clay’s statement. When Clay finished, Ovian raised his hand to respond. Gregory told him he had to leave his council-chamber seat, go out to the audience section and speak from the same microphone under rules of order.
Ovian acknowledged contacting Eiskant but said he was simply asking if there was any truth to a rumor that Eiskant was in danger of being replaced due to problems with Clay, his former boss.
Ovian said he would oppose such a plan because he was a “big fan” of Eiskant, who started the job last year, when Clay retired to become director of human resources after 15 years as police chief.
Ovian, an alderman since 2015, said Tuesday night that Clay and Gregory were engaging in “character assassination” against him.
“I do a lot more for my ward than you’ve ever done for the city, Patty — or Bill Clay has — and I hate to say that, I really do, because I backed you when you ran for election,” Ovian said.
“I gave you money. I knocked on doors. But you’re not transparent, nor is Bill Clay, so if you want to do this, let’s get it on.”
It’s rare for a city employee to complain publicly about an alderman. About 40 people attended Tuesday night’s meeting. Most sat in stunned silence during the exchange between Clay and Ovian.
Gregory didn’t respond to Ovian’s comments directly, other than reminding him that she’s responsible for choosing the police chief. Such appointments must be approved by the City Council.
After the public-comment period, Gregory, a former teacher, announced that the city’s character word for the month was “respect.” That prompted some in the audience to release murmured laughs due to the timing.
“I want to thank Chief Clay for reminding us that we need to show respect and graciousness,” Gregory said. “It’s not just the City Council. It’s not just the administration. It’s everyone in our city and, unfortunately, I think we have issues around the whole country and the world because of that lack of respect.”
In his statement, Clay said he went to Eiskant after hearing the false rumor about him running for mayor and planning to fire Eiskant and Eiskant told him that Ovian had asked, “How do you get along with your former boss?”
Eiskant didn’t speak at the meeting.
“Chief Eiskant told Alderperson Ovian that he shouldn’t put any stock into (the rumor),” Clay said. “Chief Eiskant concluded that he didn’t think I had any interest in being the mayor of Belleville. Well, he sure as hell got that right.”
That prompted another round of murmured laughs from the audience.
Clay said Ovian was a “liar” if he started the rumor, which made its way to Ward 6 Alderman Chris Rothweiler, who told Gregory he heard it from Belleville firefighters. Rothweiler didn’t speak at the meeting but gestured to indicate he wasn’t involved in the controversy.
Clay asked that city employees and aldermen be “mutually considerate and respectful of one another” in the future.
“Gossips and rumors ... They prosper when there’s secrecy and when you do it in the darkness,” Clay said. “That’s how they gain so much influence and power over people and situations.”
City Council meetings are normally held on the first and third Mondays of each month, but aldermen met Tuesday due to the Labor Day holiday.
This story was originally published September 6, 2023 at 10:49 AM.
