EDITOR:
Just read the latest actions by the City of Parkville and led by the “headline grabbing” Mayor Nan Johnston.
I noted in your latest Between the Lines column, Oct. 14 edition, that briefly summarized the actions of Mayor Johnston, but I think you left out at least a couple of memorable actions.
In an effort to show her supporters that it’s Not Her Fault, the mayor blames an expert she hired to keep track of her campaign records and file the proper reports for failure to provide information in those reports. What she fails to mention is that she never provided all of the required information to the expert. And not just once, but on multiple occasions.
Of course there is the DWI for which the mayor pleaded guilty and is serving two years probation. I find it interesting that the fact that when stopped by the Platte County deputy, the mayor refused to obey the instructions of the deputy until she could call the Parkville police chief. One can only guess what information she was seeking by calling the chief.
The biggest news, at least from my view, is the city’s refusal to comply with the public records law on multiple occasions, which recently resulted in the city paying the plaintiff $195,000 to settle the case. And that doesn’t include the roughly $250,000 in legal fees that the city has paid to defend themselves for their refusal to comply with the public records law requirements.
Whew !!! The mayor sure has been busy over the past year or two.
Just wondering what’s next for the mayor. What headlines will she create with her irresponsible actions? Oh, and I am just waiting to read what comes from her insistence to hire a criminal defense attorney to protect her and the city. Why?
It should be interesting and front page news for the future.
–Ken Martin
Platte County native