Mayor Matt Starr expressed disappointment to the Mount Vernon City Council after a proposal for a communications director position was rejected during the February 24 council meeting.
According to a video recording of the meeting, Starr said there was an agreement to avoid surprises during discussions. "Four of you voted no on this communications director. Not one of you sent me an email about it. Not one of you sent Tanner [Salyers] an email about this. And next time you want to lecture me about being a bad communicator, point the finger at yourself because I'm tired of taking that criticism of not communicating, and not being transparent when you have clearly different rules to follow," Starr said.
Safety-Services Director Tanner Salyers explained that the plan was to transition Todd Hill into the communications director role at his current salary of $65,000. Hill has been serving as the mayor's administrative assistant and city council clerk. He would continue with clerk duties while other staff would take more active roles in providing information to the council. Salyers emphasized the need for a separate clerk position and its funding, noting that Hill's salary is covered by the mayor's budget line. The communications director post was included in this year's budget approved by the council.
Council member Amber Keener expressed her opposition due to concerns over appointing someone already chosen for the job without posting it publicly first. She reiterated this stance during budget discussions on new positions, suggesting that if Hill were indeed the best candidate after interviews, he should be appointed.
Council member Mike Miller appreciated Starr's remarks, noting challenges in fostering discussions and communication within the council. He questioned why significant issues received limited discussion time in committee meetings and suggested revisiting the communications director issue after further deliberation.
Council member John Ruckman voiced confusion over why the vote failed, citing constituent feedback about inadequate city communication. He advocated for ensuring broader dissemination of information and viewed not funding such a position as regressive. Ruckman urged continued efforts toward improving communication.
