The incumbents got trounced losing the mayor, clerk, and eight of nine council positions. So much for representational democracy.
The mayor ticked off employees in every single department by being confrontational and downright mean to people (the Planning Director got canned a year ago -- after 25 + years stellar employment -- because the mayor felt dis-respected by the PD at a council meeting). Most employees here are from one party and they got behind their candidate and turned out the vote big time.
The worst part, as many of you in the public sector have experienced, is the seven weeks in purgatory between the old administration and the new taking office. Nobody wants to authorize anything and government just about comes to a screeching halt. Some politicos who will lose their jobs are quite bitter and mean-spirited. As an "old hand" -- this is my fourth general election -- I'm used to it, but some of our younger staff are quite shaken up.
It is quite an odd experience to work with folks for 4 or 8 years and come in January 2 and there's an entirely new crowd in place. "Umm, hi, nice to meet you. Could you tell me where you moved the photocopier?"
BKM you should see what they've done to annexation back here in Hoosierland. You just about need a full-time annexation planner/lawyer to get hold of a piece of ground.
