St. Louis Post-Dispatch political reporter Joe Holleman published online on December 5, 2023 that the city of Maplewood paid the city’s former city manager Michael Reece more than $130,000 on October 3. Reece’s last day with Maplewood was the last day of September.
According to Holleman the payment was in addition to Reece’s $164,854 salary. Also, that Mayor Nikylan Knapper’s choice for the new city manager is Amber Withycombe, director of donor communications at Washington University, and who has no recorded history of working for a municipality.
Read full article in St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Holleman: Maplewood paid $130K to former city manager shortly after resignation
So the Mayor has paid off our former city manager in order to hire a friend? What! The his is an outrage. Why aren’t our elected council members standing up to this! Gee, reading the mayor’s timeline I wonder who the new manager will be?
What is it about the progressive ideology that makes people feel above everyone else, and in this case, above compromise and give and take? (I’m making some big leaps here, but I’ve heard the Mayor didn’t get along with the city manager. Sure sounds like she paid to make the problem go away.)
Despite all of Mayor Knapper’s progressive ideals and promises to our elderly citizens, and the disadvantaged, tax-burdened population within our city limits – she’s no better than the conservative Missouri statesmen who have failed us in the past. She has taken advantage of our community and our trust. I mean truly, imagine what we could have accomplished for some of those citizens with $130,000.
Knapper was hired in a wave of emotion. There was never any discussion about policy or qualifications. However, she was elected mayor rightfully, and we should temper our emotions now as we should have tempered them in her election and wait for the facts to emerge before placing judgement. I know I’m angry, but I still hope for the best, that this is a reasonable misunderstanding. I’ll wait for the facts before saying or doing something I’ll regret later.
The election is in April 2024. I wonder what if anything we will learn before then or even after? The mayor and council owe it to us citizens of Maplewood to provide some kind of explanation beyond “no comment”. That there hasn’t been anything so far can only lead a reasonable voter to wonder.
Unbelievable, Now I see what people have been saying about problems in Maplewood. Progressive ideas is one thing, corruption is another.
I have had it with our Mayor. I’m seeing this grow on the media. What an embarrassment in a display of incompetence.
When a city elects a completely inexperienced mayor who had only resided in the community for a few years to lead the entire municipality, what do you expect? Poor decisions, corruption, cronyism, deceit, and apparently hiring more inexperienced and corrupt people to work alongside her. Sounds like it’s time to put together a write in campaign to take out the trash. Just because Knapper is the only candidate on the ballot doesn’t mean she is the only option.
I agree, This needs to get started
There is something shady going on here.
Would like to hear an explanation to this that isn’t blatant corruption and incompetence, but I doubt we’ll get a straight answer. Solid waste of money too.