The voters of the city of Branson have spoken loud and very clear. Their message echoes that of many within the community who did not get the opportunity to vote, a desire for a change in the way things are done within the leadership ranks of the city government of Branson. Newly elected Ward II alderman, Bob McDowell, as candidate Bob McDowell, probably said it best when he said that the leadership of city government has to earn back “the benefit of the doubt position” from the community.
Over at least the last year or so, and as recently as the morning of Apr. 3, when leadership issues at city hall have been discussed with the Ole Seagull, it wasn’t the name of either Lou Schaefer or Alderman Ron Huff that came up 99 percent of the time. Rather, it was the name of the city of Branson’s administrator Terry Dody and, to a lesser extent, city attorney Paul Link that was mentioned. Almost simultaneously people would ask a question along the lines of “Why don’t the mayor and the board of aldermen do something about them?”
There are probably many answers to that question. The fact is however that, for whatever reason, the mayor and board of aldermen did nothing to eliminate or control what candidate for mayor Raeanne Presley, now mayor elect Raeanne Presley, described as an “attitude at city hall that boarders on arrogance.” In spite of public warnings, by the Ole Seagull and others, they seemingly refused to even acknowledge there was a leadership problem. Even worse, they publicly allowed and enabled those who the public perceived as the sources of the arrogance and loss of trust to violate the same decorum and public comment rules that they so fastidiously sought to enforce against the public.
Although the voters could not vote the apparent source of that arrogance out of office what they did do was vote those running for reelection that permitted and enabled the source of arrogance to grow and flourish, out of office. They replaced them with those who pledged that, if elected, such arrogance “would not stand” and to try to earn back “the benefit of the doubt position” from the community.
In the opinion of an Ole Seagull, that will be extremely difficult, if not impossible to do, if the very individuals whom a lot of people in the community perceive as the cause of that arrogance and public distrust remain in their positions. Ah, the irony of it all. In a council meeting worthy enough to be called “Survivor Branson,” even as Mayor Lou and Ron Huff are “voted off” and relinquish their leadership positions, Monsieur’s Dody and Link survive. Who ever said that life was fair?
One can only wonder if those whom the community perceives as the cause of the arrogance and loss of trust within Branson city government will do the honorable thing. “Ah, Seagull, if they don’t do the honorable thing what should be done?” Please tell me that’s a rhetorical question.
