The recall campaign against the Grand Island mayor ramps up as City Council members sign off. After Vavricek announced on Friday at 6:30 p.m., City Administrator Mary Lou Brown would be returning, record numbers were reported at the recall booth.
Residents signing the petition have said the mayor is fueling his own recall campaign.
"It's terrible, we need something in this town and we're not getting it from them," said one woman signing the petition. As news of the city administrator's return spread, lines began to form to end the mayor's career.
"I think today was the final straw with bringing Mary Lou Brown back," said Jeb Wolsleben, the man leading the campaign. "People are coming down to sign and saying enough is enough."
At 6:26 p.m. on Friday night, Mayor Jay Vavricek released a two page statement saying in part, there weren't enough candidates to fill Brown's position.
"Back on June 26, I asked for and received City Administrator Brown's resignation. In July, I requested Human Resources Director Brenda Sutherland begin the search for a city administrator. Since that time, a mayoral recall and censure have occurred. Applications for the administrator position closed on September 14. There were 26 applications of which 24 met the minimum educational requirements. Of those with municipal experience, there were very few who had served in a city of more than 10,000 in population," said the statement.
The statement came after repeated requests from media outlets were made for those applications and subsequently denied. NTV News still does not have a list of the 26 applicants Vavricek cited above.
"With a recall in progress and the related uncertainty, it doesn't seem fair to anyone involved to move forward with the process at this time. Instead, I have asked City Administrator Mary Lou Brown to withdraw her resignation, before its effective date, and I have accepted that withdrawal," the statement continued.
Effective immediately, Mary Lou Brown is back at the helm of the city, tied to Mayor Jay Vavricek for her tenure. "I was extremely angered he used me as an escape goat and basically blamed it on the recall to bring her back instead of filling itself," said Wolsleben. "He decides to bring her back and all it does is infuriate and alienate more people to sign."
"I just hope this will help get the city back were we used to be," said a woman, giving her reasons for signing. But for now, the city will be going back to June 25, the day before Brown's resignation was accepted and before the mayor was censured for bringing her back.
"Sometimes when you do too much, too fast you can make mistakes. While I hate to admit a mistake, I made one and I own up to it. While I made a decision and sought a resignation in June, it was the wrong decision. My decision to seek Brown's resignation was based on external factors and political outcries and I shouldn't have allowed that to affect a workplace decision. The position of city administrator should be accountable to on-the-job measurements and performance a person can control," said the mayor's statement.
But it's the mistake of bringing Mary Lou Brown back for a second time that reportedly had Councilmen Gericke and Niemann signing off on the recall petition. "They were here earlier this morning," said Wolsleben.
As of Saturday afternoon, Wolsleben needs 2,000 more signatures, but he's hoping to collect 2,400 to ensure the petition is accepted. He'll continue to be outside of the Grand Island Library until October 14 or until he collects the amount needed.
The full statement, unedited, by Mayor Jay Vavricek is below:
"Back on June 26, I asked for and received City Administrator Brown's resignation. In July, I requested Human Resources Director Brenda Sutherland begin the search for a city administrator. Since that time, a mayoral recall and censure have occurred. Applications for the administrator position closed on September 14. There were 26 applications of which 24 met the minimum educational requirements. Of those with municipal experience, there were very few who had served in a city of more than 10,000 in population.
"With a recall in progress and the related uncertainty, it doesn't seem fair to anyone involved to move forward with the process at this time. Instead, I have asked City Administrator Mary Lou Brown to withdraw her resignation, before its effective date, and I have accepted that withdrawal.
"This has not been an easy decision for me or City Administrator Brown, but under a recall, I feel the need to go this direction until there is more certainty.
"Under a recall petition drive, it doesn't make much sense to hire anyone when you can't tell a city administrator candidate who their employment will be linked with or for how long.
"No one who applied for the job knows if employment would be hinged to me and, until the dust settles, would it be for four months until a special election or two years until the end of my term? Is employment instead linked to a city council president, and if so, which one? A council president will be elected in a December city council meeting. Will it be a current council member or a new member from November's general election? A hiring decision at this time does not make sense.
"City Administrator Brown didn't deserve to be" asked" for her resignation. For that I apologize to her publicly.
"Sometimes when you do too much, too fast you can make mistakes. While I hate to admit a mistake, I made one and I own up to it. While I made a decision and sought a resignation in June, it was the wrong decision. My decision to seek Brown's resignation was based on external factors and political outcries and I shouldn't have allowed that to affect a workplace decision. The position of city administrator should be accountable to on-the-job measurements and performance a person can control.
"As for other alternatives I've thought about that too. Under today's circumstances at City Hall, I don't think it is good for the organization to have a long term vacancy. It may take months, if at all, to find the right candidate in today's climate.
"Appointing an interim wouldn't be my first choice under these circumstances. One thing I've learned over the last year or so is that when you spread yourself too thin as we did with City Administrator Brown wearing two hats between the city administrator's office and the Finance department, it doesn't work well. Brown's financial abilities and her backbone to manage a budget and years of business experience better serves the city.
"I appreciate City Administrator Brown's understanding to reconsider a resignation request before becoming effective. Her sacrifice, courage, and devotion to our community the past two months under the very toughest of circumstances imaginable is a measure of her leadership.
"With so much uncertainty, I'm doing what I think makes the most sense and is in the best interest of the organization and our community."
