Residents of Macedonia may be wondering why the recent FBI visits to City Hall have been
greeted by the Mayor Molnar’s administration with comments worthy of Sgt. Shultz (“I know Nothing!”) in the 1960s sitcom “Hogan’s Heroes.”
When Mr. Molnar became the mayor, he committed to a transparent administration. As a
resident and voter how confident should you be in that commitment?
Skepticism regarding the sincerity of that commitment is justified given Mayor Molnar’s lawsuit against the City of Green for release of a public record memo (under court order) firing him from his position of Deputy Director of the Green service department on April 5, 2016 for presenting a You Tube video (“Bait Bike in the Hood Prank”) during the 2016 Green service department Spring meeting. The Green mayor’s memo firing Mr. Molnar stated that the video was “insulting, insensitive, and racially charged” and therefore Mr. Molnar was terminated from his position.
Mr. Molnar at first denied that he was fired. When the public record was released showing the fact that he had been fired by Green, he initiated a suit against the City of Green in January 2017 demanding compensation for release of this public record. After Mr. Molnar was elected (unopposed and receiving a $25,000 raise by Council) in November 2019, he dropped the suit against the City of Green in February 2020. Since this three year suit was likely to have cost Mayor Molnar significant attorney fees, it is of interest how this was paid for and by whom.
Given this history, it is not surprising that the “mums the word” approach has been undertaken concerning the FBI investigation into City of Macedonia records. Who is responsible to ensure the Mayor is accountable? The Macedonia Council is elected to represent the residents, not the administration. While not having the power to remove the mayor, the Macedonia Council can make sure the public has access to information that would not be volunteered by the Administration. Informed residents can then exercise their responsibilities in the voting booth.
Letter to the Editor from Sylvia Hanneken
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