As Lakewood City Council discussed Mayor Tom George's authority to hire his friend, former Brookpark mayor and recent DUI convict Tom Coyne as a consultant on development issues, George said he was misrepresented in a Plain Dealer story about his plan.
The PD story contained the following paragraph: “George, who acknowledged that Coyne cannot drink alcohol because of a drunken driving conviction, said he selected the former Brook Park mayor in part because of his ability to ‘wine and dine' people.”
At Monday's city council meeting, George said, “I never made that comment, and I have a tape recording of the conversation.”
Coyne's DUI sentence includes suspension of his drivers' license and three days' jail time.
“Wine and dine” would indeed have been an unfortunate choice of words, as the story came out within days of Coyne's sentencing.
Councilpersons weren't so much concerned with wining and dining, however, as with whether the mayor had the authority to award the $50,000 contract without council's approval, and what benefits the taxpayers would see from a consultancy that could put that much money into Coyne's pocket. The city refused to discuss the hourly rate the consultant would be paid, saying that it wasn't yet “fully negotiated.”
Opposition came in the form of docket item communiqués from councilpersons Mary Lou Madigan and Denis Dunn . Madigan's concern was whether the mayor had the authority to approve contracts in excess of $5,000 without council's approval. Council President Bob Seelie said the contract may be technically legal, but fell into a gray area that should be cleared up before next year's budgeting process.
Dunn's letter simply asked the mayor to explain his basis for hiring Coyne, to outline the expected scope of his responsibilities, and to describe any anticipated benefits to the taxpayer after the expense of “up to” $50,000.
George pointed out that the money for the consultant was written into a budget prepared by his predecessor, Madeline Cain, and that Coyne comes highly recommended by other cities that have contracted him for similar service, including Parma Heights .
In describing his vigilance over the expense, Dunn said he'd received nearly three dozen phone calls questioning the taxpayer benefit of the contract when the city already has a highly regarded planning staff. He also asked that the mayor not offer the contract without full confidence and support of city council.
In the end George agreed not to commit to the contract until newly appointed law director and former councilperson Brian Corrigan offers a legal opinion.
— Michael Gill
