Voting on motion moments after public hearing's just a slam, bam, just vote sham!

See cutline below article (City of Rochester video screenshot)

During Tuesday's travesty of governance, Rochester resident Rick Perreault told the City Council that the decision to grab $1.3 million dollars of Rochester taxpayer money to help build a permanent cold weather warming center was already cooked.

"This sounds like it's already decided," he said during a public hearing that was held just a few short minutes prior to voting by the council.

At the same hearing city resident Carol Petrocevich urged the council to take a pause and allow more time to get reaction from community residents.

"Why can't you wait till you get some response from your constituents?" she asked. "This shouldn't be done behind closed doors."

But in actuality, it most certainly was.

The residents of Rochester deserve a Christmas present from the current city-run regime: Not to be rushed into passing legislation that has not been properly scrutinized and commented on by city councilors and the public.

The practice of voting on a proposal a few moments after a public hearing is an insult to citizens, due process and democracy.

But this process was not created by politicians who voted for it, it was cooked up by city bureaucrats who weren't elected, concocted to stifle debate and resistance.

When the public hearing on the $1.3 million was scheduled Dec. 2, the council did not discuss it. According to city procedure, there was no need to as the public hearing was forthcoming.

So no one got to comment on it till Tuesday.

And while 20 out of 21 who spoke begged the council to wait for more community reaction before voting, the council pushed ahead and pushed the $1.3 million appropriation through with a two-thirds vote.

It was a slam bam, thank you sham.

We certainly hope - and any city councilor can create an agenda item - that in the new year someone from the council puts forth a motion to require at least a two-week pause between the public hearing and any vote to approve or deny the motion put forward at the hearing.

Caption

City Manager Katie Ambrose looks over at Mayor Paul Callaghan as she struggles to answer a question by City Councilor Debby Thompson on Tuesday. To watch Ambrose's answer which didn't answer the question click here and go to the 14-minute mark.

- HT