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Council goes for Squire?
02/03/2009 11:50 AM by John M
Word has City Council choosing Betty Squire to fill the open council seat.
UPDATED: Ms.Squire’s Applicant Questionaire [via] (Much thanks to Silver @Richmond City Council Reporter & Telegraph)
Congratulation
Congratulations Ms. Squire.
Congratulations, Betty!
Congratulations Ms. Squire! I’d like to set up an appointment to meet with you an introduce myself as a resident of the 7th District 🙂
I don’t usually post rumor, but this was too close & too interesting to pass up.
It is apparent enough up top that this is rumor, yes?
I thought the decision would be made on February 9th? I’ve heard they have narrowed the contestants down to like three. Any news?
I never even saw a posting of her credentials as with the other candidates here? Can someone post them.
I just spoke to Betty. It is NOT a rumor. It is a fact.
Congratulations to Betty and to the 7th District!
gray… that is what I was told by Daisy Weaver, City Council Chief of Staff so not to have someone rubber stamped into the position. Again her own words:
” City Council members determined they would use a closed session to interview all candidates who applied and are deemed qualified as certified by the City Registrar under current election laws.
While the interviews are expected to be conducted during a closed session, Council’s nomination and final vote will take place during an open public session on February 9th during its regular meeting. Council members continue to receive input from the public. ”
So what is going on here?
6 of the initial 12 folks vying for the office sent in information.
I sent an email out to all of the folks for whom I could get an email address, but I don’t think that she was one of them.
Gray, if, according to Eric’s information the interviews were just yesterday, apparently they skipped the selection of three and went right to the selection of one.
John, it was apparent to me that it was a rumor you were posting but from Carol Wolf’s post #8 it appears to be more than a rumor.
This has been confirmed by the RTD.
I just saw that John but it still doesn’t answer why we have been duped?
You can rest assured I am going to seek answers from City Council in the morning especially Ms. Weaver who also spoke for Ms. Salaam.
Eric
Congratulations Ms. Squire, I look forward to working with you over the next few months. Sorry my first message got cut off.
It appears City Council “jumped the shark.” So much for Ron’s statements about fairness and procedure. Hah! I hope I am wrong, but chances are Marsh and Crew have already sweeet-talked Mrs. Squires and are doing their damnedest to make nice.
Only time will tell if it was the old bait-and-switch game. I hope Mrs. Squires hasn’t sold her soul to the Marsh Machine.
Since not many of us know much about Ms. Squire, maybe she could come lend a hand at Mulch Day on Feb. 21 and take the opportunity to introduce herself.
Here is where I got the date of Feb. 9th:
http://chpn.net/news/2009/01/16/its-official-richmond-city-council-accepting-applications-to-temporarily-fill-open-east-end-7th-district-council-seat/
“Council will interview all qualified 7th district candidates on Monday, February 2, 2009 beginning at 4:00 p.m. The interviews will be held in Richmond City Hall, Second Floor Large Conference Room.
Richmond City Council anticipates appointing the candidate to the vacant seat during the February 9, 2009 Formal Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m. in Richmond City Council Chambers.”
Not sure why they changed the schedule. Does anyone know of the 12 applicants who other than Matt Conrad, John Gerner, and Betty Squire stated they didn’t intend to run for the November elections?
Although I’m sure I’ll be pleased with the appointment of Squire, I wish we were able to compare her letter, resume, questionaire with the other applicants who posted them for the public to see. So we have to blindly trust Graziano that Squire was “the high scorer” after she and the rest of council decided to interview and choose behind closed doors then bypass their earlier public notice that the appointment would be made during a formal council meeting on Feb. 9th.
Unfortunately this is the way our city government and RPS system has always operated since I can remember – is it incompetence, poor planning, damage control, croynism, and/or purposeful maneuvers to follow through with behind the door plans?
Again, I’ve heard good things about Squire, however, given the stink over Newbille moving into the district for the appointment, City Council should have made the entire appointment process transparent in order to gain the people’s trust.
If Obama can make progress towards governmental transparency for an entire nation, how come our little town can’t act accordingly?
On a positive note, glad to have a district resident appointed to council -Congrats Squire!
I don’t know Ms. Squire, so nothing personal, but it appears to be the “plan B” of Mr. Marsh’s and City Council’s agenda. Council didn’t follow their own rules per Eric’s post. It just seems as if Council wasted all the other candiates time and efforts if they already knew their outcome decision. Ms. Squire didn’t answer Mr. Murden’s call of introduction, as most other candiates did.
It’s my understanding, from RTD and others, that council did just as they said. They conducted interviews, scored the candidates to select finalists, selected three finalists, rescored them. They made no binding vote, and took no binding action. Nomination and vote will take place in open session at the Feb 9 council meeting. I think, and this needs confirming, that all the submissions are available upon request at the Office of the City Clerk, 2nd floor, City hall.
Some of these folks are so ignorant. There is no Marsh machine.You all are upset because your candidate didn’t get the appointment. Get a grip people.Wake up and stop crying about stupid stough. Betty watch Torey, because she will bite you and turn on you like a snake.She will do anything for money and to add plus points to her own hidden agenda.
I am just relieved it isn’t going to be Keith West! I have been praying and crossing my fingers that it would be anyone else.
BTW: I really wish we would quit invoking Obama in every debate! I have heard left and right-wingers both cite Obama to give their arguments more credibility. Well, stop it, because it doesn’t.
Yes, I would like Ms. Squire to post here and let us know what her plans and ideas are. Why did she not respond to John’s request for a resume (credentials)? We do need to know what kind of person will be answering for Church Hill the better part of a year since many agenda items will be passing her way.
As for the closed door and interpretation here is how I view it:
” While the interviews are expected to be conducted during a closed session, Council’s nomination and final vote will take place during an open public session on February 9th during its regular meeting. Council members continue to receive input from the public. ”
When we see the words PUBLIC and VOTE that means to many “we” get to vote – the public. Then if they have made a decision why continue to take comments as thought it will make a difference?
I presented the above thoughts to someone at the RTD (who will remain nameless) and they responded in part:
” Perhaps it’s the kind of situation that Tom Daschle has been in. Squire will be appointed unless something bubbles up that would cause council to reconsider. “
I’ve just very recently been forwarded Ms.Squire’s contact information, I will try to catch up with her to set up an interview after things have settled just a little bit (eg after everything is actually official).
I didn’t have her contact info before, so there is some chance that she did not know that I was publishing that information.
Be careful, Anthony …. I think you are spewing sour grapes here because I heard you were interested in the appointment at one point (hmmmm….)
Say whatever you wish, but Torey is a citizen of impeccable integrity and not at all deserving of such a mean-spirited personal attack.
The fact that you think there is no “Marsh Machine” should serve as evidence of your overall questionable judgment.
FYI – This Anthony is not Anthony Dale, who was rumored to be interested in the City Council 7th District seat.
Thank you for that clarification! My profound apologies.
The closed-door selection of Ms. Squire came to mind when I saw in today’s RTD, in the article about Lane Ramsey coming out of retirement to help out Goochland County. The article mentioned that Ramsey did this once before:
“Ramsey came out of retirement last year and served several months as interim administrator for Gloucester County as Gloucester struggled with a controversy of its own. Four of seven members of the Board of Supervisors had been indicted on charges of conducting public business in secret.”
So, there is accountability in Glouster County. Good for them.
Tiny,
I assure you that you are no more relieved than I am.
re: Steven from #7.
Here are the materials submitted by Mrs. Squire to the City Council.
If anyone one is interested in seeing the same materials submitted by another candidate please let me know which candidate and I’ll upload it as soon as I can. This material was publicly available at this past Monday’s Organizational Development meeting before they went to closed session.
The best thing about Mrs. Squire is her forthrightness in her application about not wanting to run for election. She wrote, “I have no intention to run. I believe that the ‘appointee’ should serve for a specified period of time only. After that time, I feel that the citizens should be able to elect a person of their choice to fill the remainder of the unexpired term.” The RTD failed to mention this most important feature of her appointment.
What this whole exercise demonstrates is the Council’s comfort with conducting business behind closed doors because they feel they are acting in the citizens’ best interests. Talking to Council members before the meeting it became apparent that a few of the members don’t seem understand the important concept of “Open and Transparent Government.”
Watch the video.
This should serve as a warning to citizens and motivate us to criticize how Richmond City Council conducts its business.
Thanks Silver!
Perhaps the 2nd best thing about her application was the CHPN shout-out.
Amen, Silver!
And, way to go CHPN and bloggers!
#21 tiny, just omit the Obama part then. It isn’t an arguement so much as a wish for more government transparency.
Anthony, you seem to be a little obsessed with Torey. I also detect a bit of jealousy, you need to get it under control.
Okay, I think that council will follow this procedure Monday. One of the first thing on the agenda is always appointments. I think there will be a paper introduced for the appointment of concil’s choice, I presume Ms. Squires. Someone will make a motion, seconded, then the ordinance will be the subject of a public hearing. Following the public hearing, council will vote in open session. the candidate selected will immediately be sworn, take the council seat, and council will move on to the rest of the business before it.
And, Tiny needs to get over her problem with Obama. By bashing Obama and those who have embraced the “change we need” & Keith West in the same posting, Tiny actually delivers a backhanded compliment. At least he has stepped up and tried to do something. Go West! Go Obama!
I appreciate all your comments. I have the utmost respect for Mrs.Squire and believes she will do a honorable job representing our city’s 7th District. I look forward to the spirited debate, as to who will succeed her!
congrats to mrs. squire/ it is unfortunate that some view any african american politicians who are in association with Henry Marsh or Delores McQuinn working to improve Richmond as pasr of the Marsh Machine. Mrs. Dotts has worked with Delores McQuinn in the past and she was not accused of being part of the Marsh Machine. I really would like to find out where this machine is, and how we may examine it and see if it has worked or not especially for the traditionally overlooked citizens of Richmond.
The Marsh Machine et. al. wasn’t out there pushing Mrs. Dotts the way they were pushing Mrs. Newbille.
If African-Americans have been “traditionally” overlooked in Richmond for the past 30 years, concerns need to be addressed to Henry Marsh or Doug Wilder. They’ve been in the driver’s seat and appear to still be fighting each other for who gets control of steering wheel.
Pity, because the longer this goes on, the most likely the possibility will be that the car crashes.
Witness the baseball stadium in Shockoe Bottom issue. It makes no sense to put it there and risk millions of dollars we don’t have for a great big toy that a bunch of rich white guys will enjoy telling their friends all about.
They want to spend this money on a triple AAA baseball team? They want to place this stadium in an area where streets will need to be dug up and no doubt there are artifacts buried beneath all the parking lots that would be of significant archaeological and cultural significance.
Good heavens! I am not bashing Obama. I am a very passionate supporter. I just think that everyone is “invoking” Obama whether or not the ideas they espouse have anything to do with his philosophy. I think it belittles Obama and does not serve the commenter well.
Tiny, who are you speaking of then? You use such sweeping general “theys” and “everyone.” And who made you the expert on Obama’s philosophy?
Thank goodness it was anyone but Dotts. In my personal experience with the woman she is an unmitigated and boorish nightmare.
Just found this NPR interview with Betty Squire on the day before she cast her electoral vote for Obama. I could tell from listening that she was smiling from ear to ear before the interviewer mentioned it. Enjoy:
http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=98240415&m=98240401
The interview shared by Deanna is just great.