BY DAVE PARRO
UPDATE (1/23): The Galloway story is posted in the comment field because the story did not make Wednesday's paper because of space limitations. I have also posted the story on The Beacon News Web site, along with a follow story on the collapse of the MetroFi network. The stories were supposed to run together.
In a story to be published in Wednesday's Beacon News, Andre Salles reports that Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner's former campaign manager who was briefly on the city payroll now works for the company that just pulled the plug on a much-hyped free citywide Wi-Fi network. The administration insists there is no relationship between the city's contract with MetroFi and the company that hired political insider Gerry Galloway.
Recently promoted Assistant Chief of Staff Carie Anne Ergo downplayed any connection, saying Weisner is allowed to have friends who have jobs. True. But Galloway had tremendous influence on the mayor well into his first term as a paid city consultant, and the contract with MetroFi was signed soon after he left City Hall.
The timing at least raises some questions about perceived conflicts of interest.
Let's review the facts:
- Galloway served as the mayor's campaign manager, helping him get elected in April 2005.
- Weisner put Galloway on the city payroll from May to December 2005, as special assistant to the mayor. He helped shaped policy and the 2006 budget that included the mayor's Wi-Fi proposal that at the time was expected to cost about $4 million.
- In November 2005, Weisner made a citywide Wi-Fi network one of the top priorities of his first term.
- In March 2006, the city announces MetroFi will install the network for free. The contract was signed two months later.
- In February 2007 (not 2006, as the company first said), Galloway started working for MetroFi. The company says he was hired because of his experience in broadband and its municipal applications.
- After months of delays, MetroFi pulled the plug on its free network this week, saying it would need $3.5 million from the city to complete the project.
It's plausible that Galloway developed a relationship with MetroFi during his time at City Hall and leveraged that to find a job after ending his paid relationship with the city. And the fact that Aurora officials have been critical of MetroFi's progress suggests that hiring Galloway didn't earn the wireless company any special favor. And to this point, the city has not paid MetroFi anything.
The mayor should keep it that way. Given MetroFi's colossal failure here in Aurora, it's time to sever ties with the company altogether. Giving MetroFi any more business at this point would really raise some serious questions.
UPDATE (1/23): In an e-mail, Gerry Galloway said he started working for MetroFi in February 2007, not 2006 as the company first said Tuesday. I changed the timeline above to reflect that. Galloway also said he never had contact with anyone at MetroFi during his time at City Hall and that he recused himself from dealing with the Aurora contract. He also said that while he still talks to the mayor as a friend, he no longer has any influence on decisions made in Aurora, nor has he been paid for any consulting work since his relationship ended with the city.
Remember when the issue of campaign contributions came up with respect to the choice of an attorney to review the zoning process for the Planned Parenthood facility? Remember a mayor that, from the mayor's chair at a council meeting, spoke about the appearance of impropriety?
My sense of the Beacon is that it would have normally taken the word and view of this administration in its downplaying of the connection between Galloway, Weisner and MetroFi. By that I mean that the Beacon would have just dismissed the entire event as coincidence and the public should not worry or be concerned, in other words the Beacon would have turned its head.
I am glad to see that the Beacon did not take the view of this administration and actually raised the question. Better yet you left the question out there for reader to decide in their own mind as to whether there may be or was impropriety or at least an appearance of impropriety in this matter. I believe that the readers are fully capable of making up their own mind on these issues.
Let me make this clear, I would not care who is in the mayor's office. Issues and actions like this taint the mayor's office and there is an appearance of impropriety and this should not be tolerated. Unfortunately there seems to be a lot of this going around these days.
So having said that, the Beacon seems to have made some progress. Better late than never.
I saw the story on OpenlineBlog.com but I didn't see it in today's Beacon unless it's just my paper. Parro, what happened to the story you said would be published today?
Gerry Galloway is still calling around soliciting donations on the Mayors behalf. This is corrupt politics at its finest.
Response from Dave Parro:
Anonymous, it looks like I scooped my own paper. The story must have been held a day because of late-breaking news. I'm posting here the story that was supposed to run today and is currently on the budget for Thursday's paper.
As far as the Openline blog, it looks like they're just following on this blog post from last night.
By Andre Salles
asalles@scn1.com
AURORA — Although Mayor Tom Weisner’s one-time campaign manager now works for MetroFi, the administration insists there is no conflict of interest caused by the former paid city consultant working for the company that just pulled the plug on a free citywide Wi-Fi network.
Gerry Galloway, who oversaw Weisner’s successful mayoral run, has been an employee of the California-based wireless company for almost a year. But he was not involved in the city’s contract with MetroFi, signed the year before he joined the company’s staff, officials say.
Lou Pelosi, vice president of marketing for MetroFi, said Galloway was hired in February 2007 for his expertise in broadband and its municipal applications. In June 2006, Galloway helped to coordinate the state’s first seminar on Wi-Fi and its possibilities.
A guest speaker at that forum was Weisner, and his friendship with Galloway goes back years. Shortly after Weisner’s election, the city contracted Galloway to serve as special consultant to the mayor, which he did from May to December 2005. After that, city officials said, Galloway’s paid relationship with the city ended.
City spokesman Carie Anne Ergo said that Galloway’s contract with the city ended months before the deal with MetroFi was signed in May 2006. The city’s contact with the company is not Galloway, but Ben Zifrony, MetroFi’s vice president of sales and marketing. Galloway is the company’s contact in other municipalities.
"As far as I know, Gerry is not involved in decision-making at the city," Ergo added.
She also pointed out that the city has not agreed to MetroFi’s offer to finish the Wi-Fi network for roughly $3.5 million.
Aurora and Naperville jointly announced this week that MetroFi would not finish Wi-Fi networks in both cities without a financial investment from the municipalities.
Galloway did not return calls for comment.
There appears to be a conflict of interst. City Hall didn't fear the discovery of this for some reason.
City Hall has no fear, because it looks like nobody did anything wrong. Mr. Galloway may have parlayed his experience at Aurora into a private sector paying gig, but people move up in the world all the time. Presidents leave office and make millions as consultants. VP Dick's former company does a ton of work for the feds because they have the most experience.
According to the Beacon's account, there was no overlap between Mr. Galloway's city employment and his work at MetroFi. City employees are allowed to switch from public to private sector work and guess what...many get jobs at firms that have contact with the city, including engineers, planners, accountants, police officers, etc.
Actually, this situation is not much different from the plethora of former Beacon employees who now work in town. Do you guys give the Park District, School District and certain non-profits a free pass because your former reporters and editors run the show there? Should Mike, Amy or Tami never be able to submit a press release or receive coverage from your publication because you might be showing them favoritism? Absolutely not, you have checks and balances built in, as does city government. If MetroFi responds to an open bid and are found by staff to be the best qualified, then they should be able to build WiFi in Aurora.
You have no problem running someone's name through the mud based on speculation and conjecture. Try some real journalism. Or maybe the rumors are true Mr. Parro and you have an agenda of your own....Do you have an undisclosed personal conflict of interest with the Mayor's Office that shapes your negative opinions?
Response from Dave Parro:
Anonymous, please fill me in on the rumored conflict of interest I have with the mayor's office, and I would be happy to address it here.
What a waste of news space. Talk about looking for a non-existent skelaton in the closet. How many people here have interviewed for a job because they had a contact. It's called personal networking. That's what smart business people do as they work, they help their companies and themselves by cultivating relationships. Mr. X what is the conflict of interest? Be specific. Leonard, and I quote 'appearance of impropriety in this matter'. What impropriety are you talking about? Be specific, tell us what was improper or illegal.
I appreciate what this blog wrote. It gives food for thought. Here is the thought that was brought up. Gerry Galloway worked on the 2006 budget which included an expenditure of funds for WiFi. This figure was around 5 million dollars. Then in November of that same year (while Gerry Galloway was still employed) Weisner made a big announcement for his quest to bring WiFi to Aurora. Shortly after Gerry Galloway's departure, metrofi came into the picture. Then shortly after that; he was offered a job at MetroFi. It all seems a little too close for comfort if you ask me.
However, what was written is true. Many planners go to work in the private sector and I'm sure wind up working with the City on various projects. However, these people are professionals.
Why does a campaign manager, who scored a very nice City job and now winds up for the Company that was supposed to provide free WiFi and now is not, keep appearing in business with Aurora? It sounds too circumstantial to me to be legit.
Well, I guess we have Mr. Galloway's response - albeit anonymously.
Nice work, Beacon. Now go ahead and take up Mr. Galloway's challenge. Practice some 'real journalism' and play connect the dots with the Weisner campaign committee's latest semi-annual report.
Follow up with a call to switch to a city manager form of government to get rid of campaign managers coming on the city payroll and to purge the need for tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from city contractors, consultants and employees.
The appearance of a conflict of interest is clear. A City Hall insider takes a job a with a company that is doing business with the City. The appearance is clear whether it meets the a legal criteria for "conflict", I don't know...I'm just a citizen and not a lawyer.
Gosh Dave, some think you go too easy on the administration and some think you are too hard on them...
At least in Mr. Anonymous' world City Hall is all sunshine and rainbows..