There is no question that our new mayor, who graduated from Notre Dame with a BSEE, an MBA from UCI and attended USC where he received his MSEE degree, has a problem in working alongside our newest council member Cathy Schlicht. Sadly those degrees, or “tools” if you will, were not in evidence this week.
Under Agenda Item #8 at our Feb 2nd council meeting, Committee Appointments, he charges some of us, which I interpret to be council member Cathy Schlicht, of playing a “game of gotcha.” This comment was a result of his directive to create a Standing Committee to review our check registers. How does that new committee benefit the residents who may have questions regarding expenditures? In this meeting, under Agenda Item #7, Cathy inquired about an invoice for $3,400 for special event insurance and a payment of $5,500 for an OCSD deputy relating to school security.
Not too long ago he sent an email to Cathy Schlicht, with a copy to myself, stating that she is “responsible for every expenditure, every day.” That’s Frank’s smart aleck comment number one. So while she asks staff to explain four expenditures he states that we need to find out what this $30 check was for. Three of the expenditures questioned by Cathy were nowhere close to $30. She did not inquire about a petty cash expenditures alluded to by the Mayor who welcomes her with open arms in writing but not in practice.
But here is where I would not mention being a graduate of Notre Dame, UCI or USC. In his angst, discussing our City Treasurer’s invoice payments, the Mayor states that our Treasurer, Irwin Bornstein, “goes through tens of thousands of checks per month.” That is but another illustration of his angst. We can call this smart aleck comment number two (of many).
If that statement by Mayor Ury is true, and we only issued 679 checks in December 2008, and 585 in January 2009, and, whereas he acknowledges our request for “transparency,” can Mayor Ury please show us the back up information covering the “tens of thousands of checks per month” handled by our city treasurer that he referenced? You can see and hear his remarks at the following city of Mission Viejo link.
A class act? Make your own conclussions on his leadership and mayoral skills.
http://missionviejo.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=4&clip_id=282
Feel free to notify me if any of the above comments are incorrect.
Larry it seems you want to be mayor so perhaps you’ll run in the next election. I’m a 27 year resident of MV and think the new mayor deserves a chance to do his job without constant sniping from within and without the administration. While you refer to his comments as smart aleck, yours could be classified as petty and juvenile. Let the guy do his job and if a council member gets their feelings hurt they can address that for themselves as an adult.
Interesting comments Tom.
I am also a 27 year resident of Mission Viejo and view Mayor Ury’s comments as being WAC’s–
Wise Aleck Comments. Frank Ury’s comments are neither acceptable or professional. Indeed they have quickly become boorish.
As to Larry wanting to be mayor–hardly. He has done more good for Mission Viejo being a faithful watchdog. He has saved the city untold $$$$.
Tom, I would suggest you attend some meetings of the council and to get the full impact of what is going on.!!!
Tom.
Having been a resident of the community of Mission Viejo than yourself I do not recall you ever mentioning anything about the actions of this or any prior council. Is this a case of you being selective in when to speak out?
Let him do his job? Perhaps you can ask him if we did not carry him during the 2004 campaign with our tireless efforts and funds? Don’t get me started on Mr Ury. For almost two years I lost several friends by my supporting, at his request, one of his three 2006 council candidates that he hand picked to replace three of his current peers. Those fences have recently been mended.
And while I did run for city council in 1994 and 1996 I have no desire to be mayor. City Manager perhaps, but not mayor.
If hired for that post I will pledge to you that any future entry into the Tournament of Roses parade will be 100% paid for by volunters as is true in the city of Downey. I will also terminate a senior member of our city staff who will remain anonymous today. While there are some great and dedicated employees in our city we do have one or more bad apples in the barrel.
In my experience, people who exaggerate in this manner, tend to have something to hide.
The article is mild by comparison with what I’ve seen from Ury. He’s childish, rude and mean-spirited. His initials are FU — what else does anyone need to know? Degrees don’t make people smart, and they don’t compensate for FU’s major character flaws.
I doubt Tom Ross has been to a council meeting. FU’s fans tend to walk away in stunned silence after being boinked over by Mayor Pomp-Ass.
Some very strange persons visit this site and Mission Viejo City Hall, firstly they make a bee- line to the City Clerk waving papers higher than a surrender flag they run around like the proverbal headless chicken and meet to rub noses all the time having their eyes on their ruler waiting for a grin of encouragement or from the other hi priestess, Mr City Manager you are so generous for not charging the residents for this but then you are not of the age to rremember the three stooges, please people of Mission Viejo make it a must on your calender and come with a tight belt as you will surely bust your sides laughing.
Fullattendee.
Perhaps you can name the very strange people on the Juice site which you reference above?
Ruler you say? Who is the ruler in Mission Viejo?
Waving papers? Are you referring to speaker slips
that must be turned in in order to address the king and his court. Three stooges you say. The lack of professionalism and fiscal leadership from the council majority is surely a joke on those of us who put them into office. And you do not have to attend our meetings. Simply follow them in real time on line or from the city archives as I have suggested in the past.
Thanks for adding some productive comments to this story.
I have lived in Mission Viejo for 73 years. I was the first person to eat 2 royal specials in one sitting at Royal Donuts and Burgers. I thought of having a rose bowl float before the rose parade was even invented. My daughters are names Marguerite and La Paz. I was the first person to play mud football at the lake fields.
My opinion is the only one that means anything. Remember that!!!