Brentwood voters will elect one alderman from each ward for a two-year term in the 2016 April 5 general municipal election.
Updated Feb. 29, 2016
On Feb. 29, Ward 1 alderwoman, Maureen Saunders, sent a statement to 40 South News with the information that she did not withdraw her name from the ballot, as she said early in the the month that she had decided to do; and will let her name stand.
John ‘Rocky’ Ritter, 9013 Madge Avenue, also filed on the last day, to run in Ward 3, according to Deputy City Clerk Octavia Pittman. Read his statement.
Anyone wanting to run for a ward seat in Brentwood could file as early as December 15 at 8 a.m. Four candidates filed at city hall on the first day: David Dimmitt (Ward 1), Evelyn ‘Sunny’ Sims (Ward 2), Andy Leahy (Ward 3) and Patrick Toohey (Ward 4). Candidate filing closed Jan. 19 at 5 p.m.
Ward 1
- David A. Dimmitt, an attorney and commissioner on the Brentwood Planning and Zoning Commission since 2006, filed on December 15.
- Incumbent, Maureen Saunders filed to run on Jan. 19. Update: Saunders said on Feb. 6 that she planned to withdraw her name on Feb. 8.
Ward 2
- Evelyn ‘Sunny’ Sims, an attorney, filed on December 15. She announced on Facebook: “I’m here bright and early to file for running for Alderman of Ward 2 in Brentwood! I look forward to getting to know the people in my ward and serving the Brentwood community.”
- Incumbent, Cindy Manestar, said she is not planning to run for re-election because her oldest son was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease four months after she was elected in 2012.
Ward 3
- Incumbent, Andy Leahy filed to run on Dec. 15. He also 40 South News a statement.
- John “Rocky” Ritter, 9013 Madge Avenue, filed on the last day. See Ritter’s statement.
Ward 4
- Incumbent, Patrick L. Toohey filed on December 15.
- Kathy O’Neill, Bluejay Cove, Read her candidate statement in The Brentwood Spirit
See also: City officials to seek re-election — or not — in April 2016, David Dimmitt, candidate for Brentwood Ward 1 alderman
All the sad same five people playing in the same tired sandbox, over and over and over again. Incredible. You guys need a life. Now we have imposter employees or imposter former employees? How many different email addresses can you guys come up with, lol. No wonder people who read this junk think poorly of your city. You deserve each other.
There are some deeply entrenched “worst practices” operating at BCH. Does anyone have a thought on forming an ombudsman program to get to the bottom of these practices or traditions that are still in play? At this point, the tails are wagging the dog at City Hall. An ethics and practices review panel made up of volunteers who understand confidentiality would go a long way in clarifying where and who is out of line. The process would not be punitive. However the findings would be offered at the BOA meeting. People’s positions–not their names would temper any backlash, and allow for a restoration—not a crucifixion.
As a former employee I’d like to remain anonymous, however I’d like to share what I experienced while employed. There were major issues of elected and appointed officials overstepping their boundaries into the day to day practices and operations of the City employees. I was contacted on numerous occasions over the years by these elected and appointed folks and given orders directly even though they were told not to this. They continued to contact me and other and other front line employees even after being told to stop and follow the proper chain of command. In some instances their orders and requests were done for malicious reasons, and were not legal as it pertains to ordinance. The City could’ve easily gotten into legal trouble over these instances.
Big applauds for being a whistle blower, and i understand your desire to remain anonymous. You describe a very dysfunctional work-place and the turning of a blind eye by supervisors or administrators not doing their jobs.
You identified receiving instructions that were not through the chain of command, and were illegal. If this is continuing, the fastest way to stop it documentation. When employees make disorderly instructions, the employee can refuse that request until it is submitted via an email or written request identifying who is requesting and the purpose for which it will be used. The entire process would take about a minute, cover the employee, identify abuses withing the system so they might be corrected. Get it in writing. Taking verbal abusive instructions leaves open the door for plausible deniability, and a document closes that door. I am sorry you had to work in an unethical, abusive environment. if i can be of assistance please contact me privately. Thank you for coming forward. Tolerating and even participating in a hostile work environment are breeding grounds for continued deterioration in the daily operations. People function at their best in predictable orderly environments.
Maureen Saunders’ decision to seek another term as Ward 1 alderwoman is a serious blow to Mayor Thornton and his Ward 1 recruit David Dimmitt, and to those city workers who have historically taken advantage of inattentive taxpayers here to enrich themselves through excessive salaries, illegal overtime billings, illegal use of city credit cards, or outright theft. Each of the aforementioned abuses has been documented in Brentwood in recent years, many by Alderwoman Saunders herself, or by State Auditor Tom Schweich, whom Saunders brought to our city via citizen petition. Yes, a serious blow to Thornton, Dimmitt, and unethical city employees, but a glorious gift to the rest of us in Brentwood.
Thanks, Maureen! You have many admirers who will happily endure the customary campaign hate mailings between now and April 5 in order to deliver you once again across the Election Day finish line.
Yes, a big “thank you” to Ald. Saunders for agreeing to run for another term. We are lucky to have such an ethical and capable watchdog in City Hall working to safeguard our money. If that’s what the crybabies call “micromanaging,” then we need all the micromanaging we can get. This woman is responsible for all of the smart initiatives the city has undertaken in recent years, with the state audit and the employee compensation study topping the list. The anonymous commenters who diss her obviously don’t pay taxes in Brentwood. As others have speculated, they are probably employees or ex-employees with grudges who don’t live here.
Being an alderman here does not make you a professional at running the day to day operations of the City. It sinply means that you have won an election in a small city, and sometimes you were defaulted into such position because you ran uncontested. Supervisors are hired to direct their employees and their employees should not be contacted directly and told to do things that are inconsitant with practices, in place procedures and ordinances. You are there for legislation, and there is no way for an alderman to be professional at each job within the city. By not doing so it creates inconsistancy and unfairness to the residents and puts employees in a hard spot which creates a high turnover rate.
If aldermen are submitting work requests to city employees, requesting favors of them, or attempting to manage them, this is totally inappropriate and must stop. I hope Ald. Saunders has not been doing this, but if she has, then she needs to stop it. The aldermen need to communicate with the mayor and city manager. I have read and reread Jday’s comments and find them to be earnest and sincere — and troubling. It’s causing me to think this may be a more serious problem in our city than I first thought.
All you have to do is go back read all of her emails that were posted a few months back. It clearly shows she was acting outside her role and went about it all wrong anyways.
Yup…
Woah…i posted “yup” to the comments by Brian Lake—but they showed up as agreeing with the hapless, nameless watcher… Well watch this Watcher: you have no credibility and fail to have standing as you will not post your name as part of a negative critique…(repeat your read, as needed until you understand responsibility.)
Watcher – the only thing that e-mail proved was that Alderman Saunders was the only one ever willing to ask questions to get clarification. For her work she has been absolutely abused at meeting by the boys. What it proved is the Mayor and high level employees do not want to share the truth with the average citizen.
Why were officials against a forensic audit? Would have helped the city find any wrongdoings. If they did nothing wrong, let’s see it as it would only strengthen the cities financial policies.
Why were officials against using a bond we citizens paid for in cases where we have funds stolen? Again what are we hiding from here.
Why did officials plead to keep Seemeyer out of prison?
Why did officials give themselves top of the line health care and never speak a word of it to the citizens just hid it in the budget?
Why do our part time elected officials give themselves a pension? Yes they get a pension after being an Alderperson.
Why would any ethical person think using a city credit card to avoid paying taxes on personal items be okay?
My guess is in your world the audit was just a big hoax pulled on the city.
Why did officials put up a constant fight against a compensation study?
Why did officials hide from us our rainy day fund amount?
Watcher – if you were honest with yourself you know as well as most of the community, Saunders did not create the problems we have in Brentwood government, she is simply trying to get it run like the business it is, not a personal piggy bank for employees and elected officials.
Research other big cities in the state and other municipalities and see what other Mayors or Alderpersons are paid. You will end up asking yourself why are we paying ours.
Did we not have an election last April 2015 and a new mayor and 3 new alderman were voted in but somehow there has been no change. Some won and some lost, that is our system. I keep hearing the same story from 2011, 5 years ago, being brought up. We are in 2016 and the what happened in the past is done and no one is forgetting that or wants to go back there. What is now the problem is that a certain group will not move forward for what is actually good for our city and employee turnover has to stop. When will the conspiracy theorists stop thinking that everyone that does not agree with thier point of view is somehow covering something up, corrupt, a thief or generaly a bad person because that is always thier underlying theme. Elections are up in April again so get out and vote for change.
Agree with you 100% Russell. But let’s not forget that Rocky Ritter is also a Mayor Thornton recruit, and Patrick Toohey has fallen in line nicely with the Thornton regime. So glad Maureen Saunders is running – we need oversight like hers. Also happy to see someone else in Brentwood Forest running–fresh perspective could be good.
We need someone new in Ward 3. I have only met Rocky Ritter several times but I plan to find out his thoughts on issues but to me Andy Leahy’s 12 + years has had his time I ask myself as a Ward 3 resident exactly what has he done in those years. Others may disagree but to me he has not done very much for Ward 3.
Where is your evidence that Rocky is a Mayor Thorton recruit?
He supported Thornton in the mayoral election, based on the sign in his yard. That may or may not mean much, but too me it is telling.
By that logic, I’m suspect, too. However, just because someone decides to run for alderman, doesn’t mean that person is a “recruit”. Maybe Rocky just thinks he can do a good job.
You ALL are missing the point. ANY ALDERPERSON SHOULD:
#1. Follow the chain of command while at City Hall. YOU ARE NOT THE BOSS OF ANYBODY!!!!! Don’t bother the employees. Go to the City Administrator or the Mayor!
#2. Talk to your CONSTITUENTS! You have ONE opinion in your Ward. You should be finding out what your constituents want and be voting the way the the MAJORITY of the people in your WARD want you to vote.
#3. Vote the way that your constituents want an SHUT UP! The majority of us don’t want to hear or be a part of your DRAMA.
#4. If ANY of you were REALLY any good, past or present, we would have better roads, we would have more police presence in the neighborhoods, AND MAYBE we could get some of the POLICE to stop people from running STOPLIGHTS ON BRENTWOOD BLVD.
Open message to Maureen Saunders: Thank you for your past service and for agreeing to run again. You attention to the details, how they impact different components operating in BCH, and your lioness attention to getting things right—even at your own expense– has not gone unnoticed. The work you do, your attention to details commensurate with seeking legal specifics through the proper chain of command is the mark of an excellent service oriented representative. The most important service you provide *IMO* is taking the long-view, the cascading consequences (AKA “The Law of Unintended Consequences”) is something this and past administrations have short-sheeted. You did not fold. TWO people who are uniformly unsuited to their positions, the Mayor and Ald. Toohey need to be given a big box of Lego’s, go home and play administrators over a ‘city they can build’ while not dragging our historical community down. Alderman Saunders, you have benefitted our City by bringing light where other’s would prefer remain dark. You bring order to places that are disordered. You fight for the big picture—AND I AM DARN GLAD YOU ARE RUNNING. To those who are hostile to the meticulous work ethic of Alderman Saunders…the day will come when YOU will be thanking her for getting the hard job done. Finally, the neanderthal brood, who flap their jaws, while scraping their knuckles on the ground–GET OVER IT. Alderman Saunders takes her position VERY SERIOUSLY—-sorry for you if you do not. Thank you for running Alderman Saunders. Sincerely, thank you. You make a huge difference in what other’s are able to slick by with; you are a reliable gatekeeper, one Brentwood genuinely needs. all respects.m.
BTW, opposition positions are always welcome. But come with facts in hand and not a washer-woman gossip mentality. That mentality needs to cease in the Mayoral/BOA Chambers.
Anyone else get the feeling that this Watcher person and “wustin jyse” are one and the same?
After all, sockpuppeting on the internet is an old trick for people with an axe to grind who want to look like a crowd. Ask yourself, is there really this boiling cauldron of hate for anyone who wants to keep an eye on tax dollars among the normal, real people of Brentwood? I don’t think so. This sounds like one disgruntled employee or contractor who is protecting his/her formerly smooth, well-paid gig. Featherbedding or rent-seeking. The only explanations that make sense. For Saunders, Leahy, Kramer, and anyone else who is fighting the old style ways of spending our money, “When you start taking flak, you know you’re over the target”.
False. Not the same person, but nice try. You sure seem to “know” a lot about the day to day operations of the city- or so you think. When is the last time you went to a BOA meeting? I attend quite frequently, and do my own research to back the statements I make. You on the other hand, merely make statements of your own opinion, none of which appear to be based on truth or facts. As I’ve said before, if you feel you can do a better job of running this city, either through the position of an alderman, mayor, or city employee, by all means step right up and apply.
Weren’t you using another name when you said that?
I never claimed to “know” the inside story at city hall. I just see the aftermath of the way of running the city that you favor. And I know human nature. If you leave the door open to theft, sooner or later someone is going to rip you off. I’m still curious about your motive here. What’s in it for you? I’m guessing money, but I suppose you could have developed a personal hate for half the BOA over time. Please enlighten me.
Perhaps I should have been more specific in my earlier comment: I’m not calling you (rickinstl) out individually, I’m speaking in general terms. “Anyone” who feels they can do a better job running the city through an elected position or employment, by all means do so. I agree there needs to be a watchful eye, and a balance to everything, but the focus has shifted out of balance and too many people are pushing their own personal agendas.
Muliple postings by the same person under different names are not allowed by 40 South. Is that correct Doug Miner? I would say if only one employee had a grieveance that could be but to have 3 department heads plus other employess leave (not fired) when they were hired in to clean up the mess left in 2011 that appears to have a smell of micro mangaging from the Board of Alderman. Saunders, Leahy and Kramer and Manstar have been on the board for 4 years or more and so they need to take responsibity for the our loosing key staff. Come to a board meeting or watch the tapes and you can see muliple time Maureen Saunders, Andy Leahy and Tom Kramer question the compency of the staff when giving presentations on camera. Imagine how they talk to staff on the phone or in person or by email that the public does not see.
I will not hide the fact that I’m a former employee who left on their own terms. I did not leave for more money (actually took a pay cut) or that “I didn’t like being told what to do”, as I’ve seen others comment. I left because of the disrespectful ways I was treated. I was belittled and criticized for refusing to perform task that were not for the benefit of the public but for private individuals. I was told that my professional opinion did not matter. Then why was I hired? These are conversations that generally happened face to face. There is no documented proof. As an employee I was grouped and categorized as a liar and a thief, and told so on several occasions in comments made at board meetings.
As an employee I went through ethical training and signed a document stating that I would adhere to the Code of Ethics. Does the Board have a code of ethics they have to sign or adhere to? Some board members are not as innocent as they let on. Again no proof since most of it occurred in private conversations.
The problematic City Hall employees from the Chris Seemayer days are gone. You have new people in there who were not part of the problem. Give them a chance to prove themselves. Do not continue to beat them up for things that occurred before their time. Treat them with the respect that everybody deserves. There are a lot of good people who work for the City, support them.
John,
No one has been more disrespectful to others then our Mayor. It is an embarrassment to our community the way he behaves behind that gavel he holds so tightly in his little hands. He definitely abuses his power.
Searching for the relevance of pointing at Mayor Thornton. First the behavior problems at City Hall started many years ago, well before he ever stepped into the building. Second if there are dots to be connected, then it seems to follow a philosophy that two wrongs make a right.
To my knowledge Doug Miner has tracked down the cries of “the crowd that does not really exist”. He did this over a year ago–but it may be time for a review. You point is a good one.
I just checked, Maureen. The best I can do is confirm that comments are coming from unique email addresses, which they are.
Thank you Doug. There are backdoors to every bureaucracy–but you have done what was possible. TY
Would someone again please show one shred of proof of how Alderperson Saunders has micromanaged and run off employees?
I believe this is responsive. At a Board meeting Ald Saunders called the former Finance Director to the microphone on camera and with an attitude I considered to be brow beating she chided the Director in an abusive manner why reports she wanted had not been prepared. The Director who was relatively new and in the process of taking command of the financial system indicated that there were more important priorities to attend to in order to gain control of the system. And lest one think the Finance Director may not have been of adequate competence, apparently the larger St. Charles thinks differently as she is now Finance Director of that City.
At $105k to start. What was she pulling down in Brentwood?
I’m sorry, but subjective judgements about “an abusive manner” really don’t tell me much. What was the backstory? How many requests for info had been made beforehand? We don’t really know, do we? I have seen how the ladder-climbing, job-hopping system within muny govts works first hand. There’s a lot of churn. So, people leaving jobs looking for something easier or better-paying is hardly an aberration. In fact, it might be called a feature. We’ve seen how badly the entrenched, been there forever folks in Brentwood played us. Remember? All those reports of financial shenanigans and theft? It really wasn’t that long ago. I’d like to make sure that the gravy train stays in the station. How about you?
Really. Alderman Saunders reminds me of Trey Gowdy questioning Hillary about Benghazi and unauthorized use of a private server for classified info. AND LIES, AND LIES AND LIES. Alderman Saunders clearly represents my POV: give accurate accountings and results, not excuses. Do the job or excuse yourself.
Watcher that’s not true! Saunders is not the only reason the city has lost so many employees. Kramer and Leahy have given her lots of help.
I agree. They need to go as well.
“Watcher” is working off the same set of talking points as the others. Wonder how many of them there really are? And I love that one about running off all the great employees. One alderman forcing so many of the dedicated city employees to quit? Why, it almost sounds like “Watcher” and all the Watcher clones might just work for, or have recently been canned by, the city. Come on Watcher, tell us where the hate comes from. Then tell me that neither yourself or someone in your family has ever gotten a city paycheck.
Saunders is one of the main reasons the city has lost so many great employees. She is running the place in to the ground with her unethical behavior and micromanaging. Maureen, please don’t file. Save yourself the embarrassment, and save us a trip to the polls.
1)Alderman Saunders, PLEASE understand that it is because you are right on the details and a fact checker that you incur the wrath of lesser minds, like the mayor and the incumbent W.II alderman. PLEASE run.
2) Kathy O’Neill, although i cannot vote in your ward, i am a good organizer and behind the scenes worker.
3) Echoing Aletheia, WE NEED TO CHANGE THE DYNAMIC THAT IS RUNNING B’WD.
Egos are prevailing over well thought out long term strategy and a “Brentwood Citizen
First” mentality.
4) Other than Alderman Toohey, I see a consistent effort to congeal around the balance of
Brentwood as a residential community in a balance with commercial interests from all the
other aldermen.–*and please don’t correct my conscious gender indifference–i write in
the masculine form on issues related to both genders.* love, maureen
so nice to see a female candidate. the male gender of Brentwood has not been successful running this city. Would love to see at least 4 or 5 women on the BOA. Research says we are more thoughtful, more detailed and better listeners, exactly what Brentwood needs.
Alderperson Saunders – please run. The last thing we needs is a lemming from P&Z on the board. A person that never went against the Mayor’s wishes.