Our old friend, Lyin' Ben Zahn, is at it again.
Zahn, who swore an oath to uphold the Kenner City Charter, now wants a "Special Hiring Ordinance" to allow 2 of his political appointees to be exempt from the City of Kenner's residency rule that requires non classified employees (political appointees) to reside in Kenner.
On tomorrow's (6/15) City Council Supplemental Agenda, is Item 16-F which, if approved, would allow Personnel Director Wendi Folse to keep her job and Interim Finance Director Mike Wetzel to lose the "Interim" title.
Folse has been the Personnel Director for several years and formerly resided in Kenner. In 2015, despite her knowledge of the City Charter's residency rule, she moved to New Orleans. Former Kenner Mayor and current Jefferson Parish Sexual Predator-In-Chief Mike Yenni and former Acting Mayor and current District 2 Councilman Mike Sigur both looked the other way and didn't enforce the residency rule. With this proposed ordinance, Zahn wants to make it official - the voters of Kenner that approved the residency rule don't matter.
I have nothing against Ms. Folse or Mr. Wetzel (or others in the Zahn Administration that are also circumventing the Charter either through the semantic distinction of "not being a Department Director" or using the "Interim" title). But, rules are rules and the voters of Kenner decided that it was important that Kenner's highest paid employees are also residents of Kenner.
In the height of irony, Folse and Wetzel are also named plaintiffs in the suit by several non classified Kenner employees against another City of Kenner Charter Change approved by voters that bans political activity.
What???
You don't live in Kenner but you want the right to support the candidate of your choosing and exert your influence on others in Kenner?
So, thanks to Lyin' Ben Zahn, you now have an ordinance proposed to circumvent the charter for 2 non classified employees who are also suing the City because they disagree with the wishes of Kenner voters on another matter too and they don't even live in Kenner.
Yeah, that makes perfect sense to me.
How many of us when we've applied for or accepted a job, were told what the Company policies are? It's the same with Folse and Wetzel and the other non classified employees that are suing the City.
If you don't like a Company policy, or in this case, the City policy, don't accept the job.
If you are going to be paid with City of Kenner tax dollars, then adhere to the rules that are set by City of Kenner voters.
Period.
Like Zahn, the Kenner City Council was also voted in to uphold the Kenner City Charter and do what is best for the people of the City of Kenner, not circumvent the Charter and draft ordinances that only apply to a select few who have the audacity to thumb their noses at the people that are paying their bills.
Let's hope the Council does a better job of understanding their responsibilities to the Charter and the people of Kenner than our Mayor does.
