The search for a new city manager sparked a heated confrontation between Councilor John Anker and Mayor Skip Henderson during Tuesday night’s city council meeting. Anker went on a two-minute tirade against the mayor after requesting a point of personal privilege.
“You went on record speaking of transparency and inclusion for the good of the community. You promised a city manager by January of ’26. After narrowing 30 applicants down to a top five candidates you again kicked the can past your own written timeline to bring forth a candidate for recommendation. You had a clear and non-discretionary duty that you have failed, or you have purposely refusing to perform your duty for political purposes. As a result of this decision to delay you’ve wasted time, money and the loss of confidence of over 30 engaged leaders that you asked to help in your transparent process while at the same time refusing to keep this council informed of your progress of filling this vacancy. Your secretive actions, tone and dismissive comments have made the problem worse and caused the city, council now to push back,” Anker said in his lengthy statement.
Councilor Anker took aim at the mayor’s own legacy who has nearly three decades of public service saying “the results of your arbitrary decision is that your city continues to endure the legacy of mismanagement, a legacy of hidden facts and a legacy of surprise decisions and deadlines which have characterized your administration under your leadership and our former city manager. As you approach the end of your more than 28-year tenure in ’26 the city risks inheriting deteriorating financial outlook, mounting debt and a dysfunctional government structure. This city council receives very little exchange of ideas, dialogue or direction from you, the mayor of the city.”
“Trust goes with the words of transparency that you so often use, and you cannot keep this council in the dark and feed us nonsense without expecting a strong reaction,” Anker said before asking the mayor if he will make a candidate nomination for city manager next month.
The mayor responded “No and we’ve been through this. Mr. Anker you are the most reckless individual I think I’ve ever met. I worry about the people of this community. Certainly, we have some challenges, and I’m involved in some of those. I’ve never met anybody as arrogant as you who makes this about themselves. You don’t know the process because you were a hired gun. You came in here for one reason. You did it. You got rid of the city manager. You don’t know how to hire people all you know how to do is fire people.”
The mayor said there was a reason people are reluctant to apply for the position. “I’m not gonna sacrifice quality for speed and by the way one of the reasons we’re struggling to try to get people is because of what happened to the previous city manager, a retired individual who then got fired the minute you got on council because your quote was when asked if you would vote to fire him you said ‘shoot I’d make the nomination if they let me’ so a lot of this falls at your feet sir.”
