Should Business Donations Fund A Retirement Party For The Mayor?

Next month, Harold Dielmann will retire after spending 28 of the last 46 years as Mayor of Dielmann, 82, is term-limited and cannot run for re-election after having served as Mayor since 2003.

While there was universal agreement at Monday's city council meeting that his service should be honored, exactly how that should be done and how it should be paid for was a source of controversy.

An informal group of residents, including some current and former city council members, have met and put together the outlines of a potential June event at . The issue? If the city should put up $1500 to be reimbursed either through entrance fees and or a combination of corporate sponsors, with the hope of at least breaking even.

Ward 3 Councilwoman Charlotte D'Alfonso voiced concern that there are only so many times the city can go to the well when it comes to asking for business help and questioned if this was one of those times. She said she supported handling the occassion like other retirements of city staff, including an event at the government center with an award of $10 per year of service, along with a cake and a plaque. D'Alfonso said she would "gladly" attend a private party and help pay for it, but found the request for donations and the inclusion of city money as "wrong, wrong, 100 percent wrong."

Ward 4 Councilwoman Jeanne Rhoades added that the Chaminade event was "self-limiting" and voiced concern about the risk of having taxpayers fund "what is essentially a private party."

Ward 1 Councilwoman Beth Kistner countered that it was an apples to oranges comparison to equate the Mayor's service with that of a policemen or other city employee, and she estimated that amount of time and effort Dielmann had given the city outweighed a "paltry" contribution of $1500.

What makes the situation slightly more complicated is the city's new solicitation and donations policy, which requires council approval when it comes to asking for and receiving certain donations.

Council ultimately voted 6-2 with D'Alfonso and Rhoades dissenting on the question of approving a list of donors to approach. A motion for the city to put up $1500 was pulled.

Mayor Dielmann was not in attendance at Monday's meeting as he continues his .

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