Letter to the Editor: Flint City Council must end dysfunction

Dear City Council Members,

And to the Esteemed Members of the Press,

It is with a profound sense of urgency and concern for both our dedicated municipal staff and the residents we serve that I write this open letter. As Chief Strategy Officer, my commitment is to the effective governance and strategic advancement of our city. It has become imperative to publicly address the persistent dysfunction and systemic issues plaguing recent City Council proceedings, which are severely impeding our ability to conduct essential city business and undermining our collective progress.

The challenges facing the City of Flint are significant, and our municipal staff works tirelessly to address them, striving daily to move our community forward. However, the consistent operational impediments originating from within the City Council are not merely obstacles; they are escalating into insurmountable barriers that prevent critical work from advancing.

Even more distressingly, the persistent prioritization of personal animosity and internal disputes among council members continues to supersede the urgent work of governing. While our dedicated staff is expected to endure these prolonged and unproductive sessions in silence, it is unequivocally the residents of Flint who bear the true and escalating burden of this inaction. Their needs and the city’s progress are being held hostage by these internal conflicts.

This burden on staff is not merely an inconvenience; it is a profound operational drain. Our employees, having already dedicated a full workday to serving the city, are then compelled to attend lengthy council meetings, often extending late into the evening, with no assurance that their crucial agenda items will even be addressed. We have staff members incurring personal expenses, such as childcare, solely to be present for these sessions, only to witness hours of unproductive infighting, often resulting in their critical presentations being postponed indefinitely. Compounding this disrespect for municipal time and resources, there have been instances where council members deliberately undermine the democratic process by refusing to occupy their elected seats, choosing instead to sit among the audience, thereby intentionally preventing quorum and grinding essential city business to a halt. This deliberate obstruction is not a statement; it is a disservice to the city and a dereliction of duty.

I am writing this letter in full awareness that, despite the gravity of these concerns, there is a possibility that fundamental change may not occur. However, I cannot, in good conscience, continue to remain silent about a matter so critical to the efficient operation of our city government and, most importantly, to the well-being of the residents of Flint whom we are all sworn to serve.

Moving forward, I respectfully but firmly ask the City Council to consider the immense strain your current operating procedures place on both our dedicated staff and the vital services we provide to residents. I urge you to re-evaluate your conduct in meetings and to focus singularly on the substantive work for which you were elected, ensuring that essential city business can finally proceed without obstruction.

Sincerely,

Seamus Bannon 

Chief Strategy Officer

City of Flint

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