Clark and her Supporters Continue to Fan Flames of Discontent and Conspiracy

It was a long and contentious council meeting on Monday with Mayor-in-name-only Clark and her boisterous supporters continuing to create waves in council chambers.

After multiple signs were posted outside of council chambers to be respectful of councilors and refrain from outbursts and disruptions, supporters of Clark cheered as she was last to enter the council chambers and posted the applause on social media.

Acting Mayor Allison Knodel made a statement to the gallery prior to council calling the meeting to order to refrain from outbursts but attendees had little respect for the request as many in attendance cheered as Clark entered chambers and continued to whisper during the marathon session with security being asked to inform the offenders to tone it down.

For a group that wants the role of Mayor respected, Clark and her supporters are not very respectful of council as a whole. Clark could at anytime ask her supporters not to cheer her when she enters, or jeer other councilors, but she chooses not to lead and continues to antagonize council with her requests of information regarding spending and severance issues that she, as Mayor, signed off on. If that is not grandstanding then what is?

The request for more information on spending and staffing changes seems to be part of Clark's ongoing disagreement with COA Mitchell. Clark is inferring that there are dubious things going on down at city hall and she's going to be the one to get to the bottom of it. If there was such a conspiracy of mismanagement, why would the other 8 councilors not say something as well?

Our community is relatively small. There are many that know people that work in city hall and know the truth about what has been going on beyond the code of conduct issue that has been made so painfully public. It is understandable there is frustration within Clark's group of supporters that not all the information is public. That doesn't mean that they have a right to bully or harass councilors individually, or as a whole, in person, online or through emails because they don't like an outcome or a comment from council or a councilor.

Just because there is policy and protocol for council to follow does not mean that there is some conspiracy regarding sanctions for Clark or dealings at city hall. Usually when it's 8 with one view and 1 with another view of the issue, more rational thinking would say there has to be more to the story that we are not privy to and we should trust those we elected to do the right thing because we are not privy to the information provided them and we are not in their shoes.

Clark and her supporters fail to realize the longer they continue with these tactics and not act with a level of decorum, the more the public will lose any sympathy there may still be for Clark. But alas, there will always be conspiracy theorists and internet trolls and those that believe there is no side to their story but their own. Clark is not a victim in this but the architect of her own demise. Best to ignore their rage, smile at their self inflicted wrongdoings and move on.