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Colusa councilman won't run again; blasts consultant
I have now served on the City Council of Colusa for 3 yrs and two months. It has been a great learning experience.
I have tried to serve the people who elected me to the best of my abilities. I pride myself on being conservative when it comes to government and the issues of our small community. I will not be running for a second term. It is my hope that a clear thinking like minded person will run for this office.
There are many serious issues facing the city in the near future. Issues that will effect everyone who lives here. Please take the time to learn about your city and attend as many meetings as you can, we will all benefit from your participation.
The City Council hired a consultant a year ago in March to do economic development activities. his name is Mark Mayuga. The city pays Mr. Mayuga 8,000.00 a month. What he does is a mystery to me. He has produced nothing of value in my opinion. I was not in favor of hiring Mark in the first place. It is my opinion that it is not responsible to pay Mark $8000.00 a month when we are barley able to pay our regular employees and obligations.
At my last meeting with Mr. Mayuga I challenged his abilities and let him know that MY constituents were not happy with his services and his huge paycheck.
Your city council is spending large amounts of money in a reckless and irresponsible manor, In my opinion. If you have questions about the city, the city council or any issue with the city please contact the council person of your choice and get involved. It is your money.
Colusa City Councilman Kirk Kelleher said Tuesday he will not seek a second term, and in his announcement blasted the city’s decision to hire an economic development consultant, and seemed to distance himself from the direction the city is taking.
“I have now served on the City Council of Colusa for three years and two months. It has been a great learning experience,” Kelleher said in a statement.
“I have tried to serve the people who elected me to the best of my abilities. I pride myself on being conservative when it comes to government and the issues of our small community. I will not be running for a second term. It is my hope that a clear-thinking, like-minded person will run for this office.”
Kelleher said there a number of serious issues facing the city, but only specifically addressed economic development activities.
“Your City Council is spending large amounts of money in a reckless and irresponsible manor, in my opinion,” Kelleher stated. “If you have questions about the city, the City Council or any issue with the city, please contact the council person of your choice and get involved. It is your money.”
He said he opposed the hiring of consultant Mark Mayuga a year ago, and said “he has produced noting of value.”
“The city pays Mr. Mayuga $8,000 a month. What he does is a mystery to me,” Kelleher wrote in his statement.
“He has produced nothing of value, in my opinion. I was not in favor of hiring Mark in the first place. It is my opinion that it is not responsible to pay Mark $8,000 a month when we are barley able to pay our regular employees and obligations.”
Mayuga, who receives $7,800 a month, was guarded in his response.
“You will have to talk to the other council members. They get the reports and they have met some of the people who I have brought to the city,” said Mayuga, who is the point man on the proposed Calmetha methanol plant.
Kelleher, typically the quietest of the council members, said the last time he met with Mayuga, he “challenged his abilities and let him know that my constituents were not happy with his services and his huge paycheck.”
Mayuga confirmed the confrontation, saying it was in a closed session with the council.
“I would say, he was bristling. You could tell by his body language when he came in that he was not happy,” Mayuga said.
“He said some things that were very unprofessional and abusive, and that is all I will say about that except to say he was very hostile.”
Councilwomen Kay Hosmer and Donna Critchfield also confirmed the confrontation. Each indicated it was initiated by Kelleher and both said they were disappointed with the councilman.
“It was very contentious,” Critchfield said. “It was very unprofessional and I was very upset, and it was initiated by Mr. Kelleher and I was very disappointed in his performance.”
Hosmer agreed and said Kelleher is too impatient.
“Mr. Mayuga and Kirk had a personal communication and Kirk was very unprofessional with his responses,” Hosmer said.
“His comments are very uneducated and self-serving.”
Hosmer said Kelleher has been the least involved of all the council members, and argued economic development in the city is a work in progress and cannot be instantaneously achieved.
“I think it is a matter of record the lack of participation that Councilman Kelleher had gotten involved in. At each meeting has nothing to report because he does not participate,” Hosmer said.
That noted, Hosmer said she also is concerned with how much money the city spends and where, and that it the council’s job to watch all spending.
Critchfield went a step further, defending Mayuga and said he has had a value to the city.
“I’m stunned at Kirk’s approach,” Critchfield said.
“I actually believe that Mr. Mayuga has proven he is a man of his word to me by bringing us many contacts that we would not have had,” Critchfield added. “And the result of that is we are looking at several opportunities to bring business growth and jobs in to our community, as well as development for the downtown.”
Mayor Pat Landreth and Councilman Tom Reische could not be reached for comment.
