Apologies in Collinsville
Blame the messenger, blame everyone else, everyone was doing it, oh, and I guess I should be kinda sorry, said our embattled Collinsville leaders Monday night. Mayor John Miller even wrapped himself in the flag during his lame attempt to explain away why there was nothing wrong with taking a freebie from a city contractor.
Miller during Monday’s City Council meeting said the Madison County prosecutor asked whether there was criminal intent when he got 12 tons of topsoil dumped in his back yard by a city contractor. He said he accepted it after a city worker told him he could get all the dirt Miller wanted.
To think that there’s such a thing as “free” from a contractor when you’re a city leader, and to think there’s no cost involved when heavy trucks deliver 12 tons of dirt to your home may not qualify as criminal in a courtroom, but the arrogance and stupidity involved is criminal.
And to add insult to injury, Miller blames his “friends” for turning on him, and council members Nancy Moss and Jeff Kypta for bringing Dirtgate to light. He minimizes his responsibility with words like “infraction,” then after his half-apology he tells residents “I have done nothing wrong.” He follows up by trotting out his Vietnam service and fire department service and city council service. After all that service, well, he should be entitled to a few loads of dirt, right?
Speaking of entitlement, Council member Cheryl Brombolich was riding the train of self-righteous thought to Privilegeville as well. She didn’t misuse a sports booster club credit card on her Florida vacation, she was just guilty of volunteering 20 years of her time to city youth
As far as also misusing city credit cards for personal purchases, her excuse was that everyone was doing it? Really?
Sounds like we need a major investigation of the Collinsville city workers and an independent audit of the city credit cards. Sounds like there’s a lot more dirt.
Too bad the guy who was charged with cleaning up after this pair got canned in the process. Scott Williams is adding “former city manager” to his resume along with “former police chief” and “current scapegoat.”
Miller’s attempt at claiming these allegations were just a last-minute ploy to save Williams just isn’t true. The city has been denying the News-Democrat’s efforts to get at the Brombolich records since shortly after the election. Miller’s dirt came up recently as an aside to the Brombolich investigation.
Shame on Miller and Brombolich. They owed Collinsville residents an apology in which they accepted responsibility for their actions. Instead, the city got arrogance, pontification and excuse.
This story was originally published July 14, 2015 at 2:00 PM with the headline "Apologies in Collinsville."