Scottsdale seems to be rolling from one mystery-shrouded scandal to the next.
“Forget about ‘Parkingate,’ ” one City Hall insider snarkily commented. “This is ‘Whitmergate.’”
Or, as an onlooker at Mayor Lisa Borowsky’s Jan. 21 press conference on the cryptic suspension of her chief of staff R. Lamar Whitmer demanded, “Why?
“Why is there all this drama in Scottsdale?” MaLeesadee Meyers asked.
“Why can’t these people get along?”
By “these people,” she was referring to the mayor, members of Scottsdale City Council and City Manager Greg Caton.
Borowsky spent much of last year battling against a City Council majority dubbed “the bloc” and the new city manager they appointed.
The latest – and potentially most explosive – battle is over Caton’s suspension-sans-explanation of Whitmer, Borowsky’s chief of staff for three months.
At her press conference, Borowsky insisted inside attacks on her “started day one – and it’s been aggressively getting worse and worse and worse.”
This time last year, the then-new mayor hosted a few private meetings on a planned Old Town parking garage, during which she pitched an alternate design by prominent local architect/developer David Hovey Jr.
As Hovey was a campaign contributor to Borowsky, City Council representatives Jan Dubauskas, Barry Graham and Adam Kwasman thought that was an ethical violation – complaining to county detectives in what came to be called “Parkingate.”
Borowsky brought that up at this week’s press conference: “A week before my very first State of the City address, anonymous sources broke the story of the county attorney investigation against me, which were later and wholly debunked.
“Those accusers,” Borowsky added angrily, “those anonymous sources turned out to be my fellow council members, my colleagues on City Council.”
Cut to a year later.
On Jan. 14, Whitmer – a staunch defender of Borowsky who harshly criticized “the bloc” for months before setting up an office at City Hall – was “placed on paid, non-disciplinary suspension,” according to Holly Peralta, a city spokeswoman.
A week later, no details were provided.
“This action occurred after allegations of policy violations by Mr. Whitmer were received by the interim city attorney (Luis Santaella) and the city manager,” Peralta stated.
That was not good enough, Borowsky demanded.
Whitmer’s suspension, the mayor led off her press conference, “has been done without any disclosure of the allegations or accusations or the accuser. This simply is unjust and violates our Constitution.
“I’m here today to demand that the city attorney disclose exactly what Mr. Whitmer violated in terms of city policy.”
After the press conference, the Progress asked Caton’s office if it would comply with Borowsky’s demand.
“This is an active personnel investigation,” Peralta responded.
“To protect its integrity and ensure fairness to all parties, the city will not comment any further on allegations, investigative details or internal deliberations.”
At her press conference, Borowsky said she was “considering to call upon Mr. Caton to resign.”
The city manager can be fired – but not by the mayor alone. She would need three others to join her in that.
Attorney blasts city
“I have no idea what this is about,” Whitmer told the Progress.
“There’s no basis for any complaint.”
Dennis Wilenchik – who also represented Borowsky during last year’s “Parkingate” allegations and counter-allegations – emailed the Progress on behalf of Whitmer.
Wilenchik blasted “the city manager’s unexpected and absurd removal of my client from City Hall.”
Upon being told he was suspended and ordered to leave city property immediately, Whitmer was escorted by police officers from his second-floor office – passing by a crowd packed into City Hall for Banner’s Planning Commission meeting.
Wilenchik decried City Manager Greg Caton’s “insistence, along with others, on walking Lamar out in a ‘perp’ walk public display in front of numerous people attending the city Planning session, designed to humiliate and publicly embarrass him for no good reason.”
According to Peralta, immediate action was required.
“As recently as Jan. 14, during the workday, new allegations regarding potential policy violations were reported, requiring the paid, non-disciplinary suspension to occur without delay,” according to the city spokeswoman.
“Because a public meeting was scheduled to take place that evening at City Hall, the meeting with Mr. Whitmer was planned to occur in an area out of public view. In order to protect the public and employees in City Hall, and in consultation with the Chief of Police, public safety personnel were present.
“Mr. Whitmer refused to leave his office for the suspension meeting; therefore, the meeting took place in his office.”
Wilenchik mocked this week’s city press release.
“The so-called ‘response’ by the city to public questioning of this fiasco didn’t provide any real response or additional useful information at all,” Whitmer’s attorney said.
“Not providing any tangible information at all supporting the need for this exercise is not a good look for city management, and is embarrassing and damaging to the city as well as our client and seems designed to embarrass the mayor for no good reason as well.
“We know of nothing our client was doing or engaged in that was any violation of any ordinance or city code,” Wilenchik continued, “and nothing has been revealed to him at all to enlighten us, let alone any prior warning received.”
Whitmer quietly started “my first office job in 40 years” Oct. 6, at an annual $135,000 salary. Shortly after taking the job, Whitmer told the Progress he would “help everyone work together” in his new role.
Last year, Wilenchik threatened to sue several City Council members unless they “publicly denounce … wild accusations made against the mayor” – regarding reports Jan Dubauskas, Adam Kwasman and Barry Graham complained to county detectives about Borowsky pitching alternate parking garage renderings by one of her campaign donors.
Less than a year later, Wilenchik sounds ready to put up a fight on behalf of Whitmer.
The attorney called Whitmer’s paid suspension “beyond disturbing on so many levels. Particularly when shrouded in mystery.
“Essentially forcing him to be locked down in his own home on top of it, is beyond disgraceful, insulting and ridiculous for such a high official, that one has to obviously wonder what and who is really behind all this, and what the real motives are here and who is the real target.
“I feel we are in Tudor England with all this palace intrigue,” Wilenchik added.
His promise: “We will get to all that for sure, once we get more information, or force it out of them soon, if necessary. We will then be in a better position to fully respond to this outrage and take action.”
Borowsky did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday afternoon.
But, two days after Whitmer’s suspension, the mayor sent out a press release stating, “I was not provided with any information before or after the city’s recent actions, even though the chief of staff position reports directly to me.
“Meanwhile, the story was leaked to an ‘anonymous’ blogger six hours before Mr. Whitmer was notified of any investigation,” she added, alluding to a Scottsdale Edge post.
“The appearance of two police officers, used by management to ‘escort’ Mr. Whitmer past a packed Planning Commission meeting was meant to defame and humiliate Mr. Whitmer,” Borowsky said.
“The city manager’s actions were wholly unnecessary and have the appearance of a blatant political hit.”
She concluded “the idea that you can be removed from your job without being informed as to the reason why – what is the accusation, and who is the accuser – is designed to inflict the maximum damage to your reputation and is fundamentally unfair and wrong.”
‘Undercut’
Borowsky insisted the suspension of Whitmer was not an isolated incident.
“Since being appointed city manager,” Borowsky complained, “Mr. Caton has consistently undercut my agenda, an agenda that the voters of Scottsdale chose and approved through their duly recognized and certified election of me as their mayor.
“Under the city manager’s watch, the city’s upper management, those with long time institutional knowledge, have left the city’s employ.
“There’s an atmosphere of fear in the remaining staff that is widely known, and a fear – a concern – that they might be pushed out as well, especially if they’re known to be working with the mayor’s office.”
The Progress asked the city manager’s office how long the investigation of Whitmer is expected to last.
No response was received as of press time.