Garage Sale 'Cancelled'?

During last Thursday night's Finance Committee meeting of the Troy City Council I witnessed a disappointing display of self-important grandstanding. The agenda included a proposed ordinance for the sale of the Uncle Sam Parking Garage. Whether you are for or against this proposal you cannot agree with the manner in which Council President Clem Campana went about the matter. Without introducing the legislation, without any input or discussion from his fellow council members, Mr. Campana pulled it from the agenda and said he wouldn’t entertain the proposal.

This proposal has been delayed several times because Mr. Campana and the City Council needed to seek more information, which they received, and now that they have this information and should be able to make an intelligent decision yes or no; up or down, Mr. Campana decides to pull the ordinance. I hold no personal grudge against Clem, but this and other tactics from years past gives one the impression that there might be a personal agenda at stake here. It just stinks. Vote on the legislation, yes or no. All our councilman should be afforded the opportunity to perform their duties as legislators, not to have them hijacked.

In response to the actions displayed during last week’s meeting Mayor Tutunjian has now called a special meeting for Tuesday February 23 at 7pm in the second floor conference room of the new City Hall. Hopefully this time the eight elected officials, who were not included in the process of removing the ordinance, will be granted the opportunity of accepting or not accepting the proposed sale of the parking structure. But then again we are speaking of the Troy City Council...