There’s a striking contrast between the decisions of City
Manager Ed Tewes and City Attorney Helene Leichter in response to
the scandal that rocked Morgan Hill City Hall this summer.
There’s a striking contrast between the decisions of City Manager Ed Tewes and City Attorney Helene Leichter in response to the scandal that rocked Morgan Hill City Hall this summer.
Both Tewes and Leichter were the subjects of gossip, allegedly spread by a City Council member, that led to a private attorney hiring a bumbling detective, a questionable closed-door City Council decision to investigate that debacle and a cost to Morgan Hill – so far – of more than $150,000.
The reprehensible rumors, potentially detrimental to the personal and professional reputations of both Tewes and Leichter, also leave a stain on Morgan Hill’s history as well as on the reputations of the aforementioned local private attorney and City Council member.
Leichter decided to leverage the situation into a settlement with the city that will cost the taxpayers of Morgan Hill more than $50,000. Leichter has agreed not to sue the city for workplace harassment in exchange for a $25,000 check, a $15,000 fee for her attorney and seven additional weeks of vacation this year.
Tewes, on the other hand, has decided against a shakedown of Morgan Hill taxpayers because of the alleged rumor-mongering.
“There has been no similar claim or action with respect to the city manager,” Morgan Hill Mayor Dennis Kennedy told reporter Carol Holzgrafe recently, noting that he was relieved.
The taxpayers of Morgan Hill, no doubt, are also relieved.
We do not mean to diminish the toll the rumors have had on the personal and professional lives of Tewes and Leichter. And we would not blame either if they opted for litigation against anyone who is alleged to have spread the rumors.
But the taxpayers of Morgan Hill, despite the fact that they’re cutting services and dipping into rainy day funds to balance the budget, still have deeper pockets than private citizens, and therefore probably seem like a more successful target for whatever salve this settlement might bring to Leichter’s wounds.
Thanks to Tewes’ decision, the taxpayers of Morgan Hill will not be forced to pay yet again for this gossip-induced scandal. We’re sure they appreciate that.
We wish Leichter had aimed her litigious threats at those truly responsible for her pain and suffering. That wasn’t the taxpayers of Morgan Hill, however deep their pockets.
We wish we could believe that a settlement topping $50,000 will truly relieve Leichter’s pain and suffering. But we suspect it’s a false cure.
We do believe that Tewes’ decision not to sue the city shows he has the best interests of Morgan Hill’s taxpayers at heart.
Thankfully in this whole mess, someone does.
