JUST WHEN you thought you’d seen it all, along came last Friday’s “emergency meeting” of Savannah City Council in response to the Chatham County Commission’s vote earlier that morning to dissolve the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department and break it into two parts.
The meeting came hours after Savannah’s second triple homicide of the year.
It also confirmed everyone’s worst suspicion that our situation is even more dire than we knew. It was literally the most pathetic thing I’ve ever seen local politicians associated with.
I have never been so deeply concerned for the future of this city of which I am a native.
The County Commission’s narrow 5-4 vote to start their own police department came without warning. It was understandable that Mayor Jackson and the rest of City Council up for reelection were caught unawares; we all were.
But not only did City Council not have a Plan B for their next move, they lacked a Plan C-Z as well.
Visibly panicking, Jackson and Council sounded as if this was the first time they’d considered even the most basic issues surrounding the heated, year-long negotiations to continue the merger.
Even this late in the game, with the County’s vote a done deal for several hours, City Attorney Brooks Stillwell embarrassingly had to instruct City Council members on the most rudimentary aspects of the negotiations.
City Manager Stephanie Cutter—by charter the most powerful single official in Savannah and whose job it is to take care of problems exactly such as this—looked on meekly like a deer in the headlights, adding little, seemingly understanding little, as Stillwell addressed her and City Council as if they were preschool students.
Though in all candor I’m not sure preschool students couldn’t do a better job.
The flop-sweat dripped as individual City Council members desperately grandstanded, as if there was a single thing to be done now that the County had finally called their bluff.
Mayor Jackson indignantly said, “We cannot continue to be the Council who has had to carry this burden all of this time.”
Mary Osborne actually suggested that the Chatham County Commission’s vote be disregarded (!), and that “we should get the citizens’ feedback.” Well that’s an idea!
Tony Thomas brought a motion to the floor symbolic of the colossal cluelessness of this City government.
Like a deeply delusional spouse who refuses to acknowledge their partner has already filed for divorce, Thomas’s motion was to reaffirm the City’s commitment to the police merger, and essentially instruct the County Commission to reverse their vote and continue paying for the merger through the end of 2016!
The merger the County had bitterly voted to dissolve for good hours before.
Like drowning shipwreck victims grasping for a floating piece of flotsam, City Council members floundered onto the toothless and farcical suggestion.
Tom Bordeaux—who alone among incumbents has the realism and sense of honor to not seek reelection—was the only dissenting vote, cast to express his disgust with the entire process.
What happens next, assuming the County Commission doesn’t have some kind of weird machinations of their own to reverse their vote (not out of the question by any means)?
Taxes go up for everyone. City taxes, to make up for the shortfall in police funding from the County, and County taxes, to pay for costs of their brand-new police department.
Chief Lumpkin, barring drastic action, will likely resign despite his assurances he won’t. What else is he supposed to say?
If he does go, I don’t think a soul would blame him.
Officer vacancies in the City will worsen. Any officer who can will run for the exits now that there’s no guarantee that even the new, deeply flawed salary structure will remain intact when the dust settles.
Look: The City of Savannah is broken. This election you have the opportunity to begin undoing the damage. (Thanks to those of you who voted early!)
Let’s look at a case study:
Alderman John Hall is a perfect example of not only how disastrous the current Council is, but of how each citizen’s vote matters.
John Hall has been endorsed by the Chamber of Commerce and the Police Benevolent Association despite a record which includes three DUIs, a shoplifting charge, and misdemeanor unemployment fraud.
John Hall has told constituents his district is the safest in town. The same district where running daylight gun battles are now a routine occurrence.
John Hall’s wife Connie Hall is a member of the Savannah-Chatham School Board.
John Hall works for the Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools.
In September of this election year he got a promotion from Media Clerk —a part time job paying under $20,000 a year—to Supervisor of Custodial Services.
His new salary is $49,500.
(Husband/wife elected teams are now commonplace in Savannah/Chatham County. These nepotistic teams are, while legal, a clear and present source of corruption. In addition to Mr. and Mrs. Hall’s dual elected roles, Alderwoman Estella Shabazz is married to County Commissioner Yusuf Shabazz, due in court for a hit-and-run of a City worker. Assistant Police Chief Julie Tolbert is married to Terry Tolbert, head of the Economic Opportunity Authority and also….. wait for it…. Chairman of the Tax Assessors Board! The list goes on and on. Nepotism is killing Savannah, and we will take a closer look at the issue in coming months.)
Here’s the thing:
In 2011 John Hall was elected by 18 votes.
Not a typo—that’s eighteen, as in the number between 17 and 19.
Given all the Council votes that have been taken and City contracts doled out since then, what do you think the potential market value of each one of those 18 votes might be?
The difference between success and catastrophe often rests on the razor’s edge.
You can be the difference.
This article appears in Oct 28 – Nov 3, 2015.
I understand why Bluffton SC is growing so fast. Chatham County is trying to save itself from the flight.
The Dem Party has no place for an “All Lives Matter” Dem. Blue Dog Dems are all neutered. The Rep Party has been drummed out of town by the Media Left…
Savannah is in deep trouble…the Left needs to grow up and stop its political arson.
I worked with Ellis Cook 3 election cycles ago beat John Hall. Hall was supported and backed by the Reverend Smalls. As you stated he won by 18 votes. That’s why I changed my profile to VOTE. And challenge everyone who wants to see change do the same.LET’GET OUT THE VOTE!
It is inconceivable that our current City Council, City Manager, Mayor and even our Tourism Advisory Board would opt out of any constructive help from the rest of our industry and community.. In order to pull our city out of a dire crisis, rampant downtown crime or anything at all that involves the rest of the community or sharing a thin slice of pie. No,they want it all and they will have it no matter who becimes Mayor. The power of the people given in our Nation’s Constitution is above and beyond political elections. As the chickens now come home to roost and the emphasis on market share at all costs has proven to be a bust for everyone else, then the only thing to do is engage the Tourism Advisory Board members in a friendly, non-political, socio-economic public debate on the present and future state of tourism and why operating without a Tourism Management Plan over the last 10 years aided in the spread of crime. To begin a plan now is too late and the feeble nod toward Charleston’s Tourism Managment plan and speedy Powerpoint marathon through that plan in the last Tourism Advisory Council meeting by Tourism Managment and Ambassadorship Director, Bridgit Liddy resukted in essentially an insult to the whole concept of a comprehensive tourism managment plan for Savannah that now, thanks to a Nemesis of Negligence by tourism and city officials now would require a huge section on Tourism and Crime. Tourism and Crime. Joe Marinelli President of Visit Savannah was of no help since he essentially refused to even admit that there was a problem at all …about winging a 2.5 billion dollar tourist industry without a navigational plan, but winging it in the steady direction of a handful of interests. Meanwhile Alderman Mary Ellen Sprague, of Ardsley Park. “defender of the Police,” still hasnt answered my question I posed twice in the last two separate City Council meetings as to how and why millions of dollars our our tour preservation fees went and are targeted to go into 2016 toward a friggin multi-million dollar lighting and landscaping project called Atlantic Mall Lighting project. Well here’s your chance to respond once and for all, Alderman Sprague. Your election hangs in your answer.
The idea that the answer to Savannah’s problems is to “get out and vote” is absurd. People have voted and they got what they voted for.
What is the difference in electing a Left Democrat that distrusts the police or a Left Democrat that hates the police? Or one that distrusts free markets and one that supports Marxism?
The ship needs to be turned in the other direction and no one pointing in the new direction is running for office. So, people move and commute from SC.
It breaks my heart to see Savannah going through this crisis. I’m not a resident, but I do visit 8-10 times/year. The ratcheting up of violent crime should be a concern to every resident as well as all elected officials. Once visitors get a sense that Savannah is growing increasingly violent, tourist dollars will dry up. I’m hoping the looming election will see new leadership take the helm.
Good afternoon. We all should remember that this city took three years to acknowledge Savannah had gang problem. They not only did not inform the community but they continued to act as if the problem would correct itself. Secondly, although Lovett was convicted, these issues did not just happen on his watch. It was deeply rooted within the police department and those same individuals who have served on the council for years did nothing. Always the politician, they all deserve to be replaced. Watching them on the government channel is very painful. I am embarrassed that any of them represent our city. What did we gain from the trip to China? What did we gain from the trip to New York? Why is Diane Reese still serving as the City Clerk when she was found to be taking family members on trips with the city American express card. When we vote on November the third we should vote not for change but for anyone who can think not the mindless Roberts that have been “serving” the community. I am sick of the waste, the unprofessionalism and the incompetence that we call our city council. Edna Jackson signs say proven leadership. Really? Be serious. Van Johnson is a county employee can anyone say “conflict of interest”? Savannah is a beautiful city that is slowly being destroyed from with in. Let’s not fall pray to the joke that we have come to call city government. It is time for a new direction. Because nobody is sure driving us now.