02032017 - News Article - Mayor's Washington trip, security detail rile city officials

Mayor's Washington trip, security detail rile city officials
Post-Tribune
February 03, 2017
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/news/ct-ptb-portage-mayor-inauguration-st-0205-20170203-story.html

When President Donald Trump was swearing the oath of office at last month's inauguration in Washington, Portage Mayor James Snyder was in attendance, along with his family and a security detail that included the police chief and assistant chief, records and interviews show.

Snyder, a Republican who's facing federal public corruption charges, capped off a week-long trip to a national mayor's conference in Washington D.C. by attending the inauguration. So far, the mayor has billed taxpayers at least $2,692 for travel and hotel, according to records and interviews.

The charges included a rented suite at the Capitol Hilton for $539 a night for four nights to accommodate his family, instead of the standard room rate of $429 a night, a difference of $110 without taxes and fees, records show. Police Chief Troy Williams and Assistant Chief Ted Uzelac also billed the city $429 per night for four and five nights respectively, according to records and interviews.

The Portage Utility Services Board, which Snyder chairs, reimbursed Snyder $2,692 to cover four out of the five nights he and his family spent at the hotel at the $539 a night rate. Snyder paid for the fifth night on his own.

"It's no problem taking your family, and it's no problem if they stay in the same hotel room, but the city shouldn't bear the additional expense," Portage Clerk-Treasurer Chris Stidham, a vocal opponent of the mayor's, said. "And, (staying for the inauguration), now it's gone from city business to personal business. Now, he was keeping security out there for his personal time, and that's where it really gets out of line."

A federal grand jury in November indicted Snyder on bribery and tax evasion charges.

Portage Council President Mark Oprisko and Councilman John Cannon, R-4th, recently visited Snyder in the mayor's office, where Oprisko asked Snyder to resign, claiming the mayor's federal indictment "cast a cloud" over the city, Oprisko said.

Snyder refused.

Stidham sent the City Council a letter criticizing Snyder for charging the city for the suite during the U.S. Conference of Mayors winter meeting, which took place Jan. 16-19 in Washington, D.C. Stidham also criticized Snyder for billing taxpayers the costs surrounding the Jan. 20 inauguration. The letter also questioned Snyder's decision to take along Williams and Uzelac as security.

Snyder's wife and four children accompanied him on what he called "a historic trip." On his Facebook page, Snyder said the "scrutiny of this trip is unwarranted and completely riddled with 'alternative facts' to paint a picture that is not accurate."

Stidham, the city's chief financial officer, combed through receipts from the January trip in his office, expressing frustration and calling on the council to pass ordinances that further clamp down on spending by city officials.

Stidham, a Democrat, insists Snyder should reimburse the city for the difference in his family's suite rate and for all of the police leaders' hotel expenses, with the latter costs totaling about $5,300. He also called the extra day for the inauguration "the mayor's personal business."

Snyder, however, said he did not intend to reimburse the city for the difference between his family's suite rental rate and the standard rate or for the officers' stay. Instead, he refused to charge the city a per diem, which would've come out more than that difference, he said.

Snyder also said a state agency can review the trip and decide what's right or wrong.

"If the State Board of Accounts sees it as a thing to be dealt with, we'll deal with it," he said.

Williams said he and Uzelac were following orders in attending the conference and inauguration, and they stayed close to the mayor and his family after coming up before the trip with a detailed operations plan on what they would do in Washington.

Williams also used the conference as a way to improve police operations back home, he said.

"We decided if we're going be there in this security capacity, let's also use the opportunity to network and find out what else other communities are doing," Williams said. "I think if somebody has a question about something, it's fair to ask that. From mine and the assistant chief's position, we were going there as a security detail."

Williams claimed he and Uzelac came in handy protecting the mayor while heading to an inaugural ball. As they approached an opening between two blockades and portable fencing, protesters began to envelop them, causing Williams to get physical with two of them while Uzelac ushered the mayor and his wife to safety, Williams said.

In his letter to the City Council, Stidham, who was sworn in as clerk-treasurer in 2012, the same time Snyder ascended to the mayor's office, called on the body to pass a travel policy ordinance that prohibits city officials' "use of police officers as personal bodyguards while traveling on city business," bans hiring private security firms for those trips, and clearly outlines policies for family travel and for extending travel past city business.

"It's sad we're to this point, but let's have an ordinance that makes it crystal clear our stance on these situations," Stidham said.

Snyder said some of the criticism "may be heartfelt," but he also said some of the criticism, especially from Stidham, was politically motivated Stidham also works for the law firm Rhame and Elwood, which holds a number of contracts throughout the city and the Portage schools.

Snyder said the "spat" with Stidham will not get in the way of city work.

"Any self-serving criticism of the mayor is not good for Portage," Snyder said Friday. "It's not good for its staff. I'm going to get through all this and I'm going to be a better person when I'm through all this."