Comments on: No Unemployment Concerns For Eagle Mayor

By: Kappa TA

Kappa TA — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:18:35 +0000

alike:

The article didn’t specify whether the contract end date is 2010 or 2011. Either way, the mayor must have expectations of a renewed contract or another BSU job to save Eagle’s budget “about $13,000 annually,” according to The Daily’s not well fleshed out article. His comments in the VT were directed at discrediting a constitutent, instead of just explaining the second job. He is a public figure open to scrutiny; the constitutent is not. Like you, I still have questions about this issue.

By: alike

alike — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 21:23:21 +0000

$13,000 will be saved in 6 months(contract begins Jan. and runs through June)? Switching insurance for a 6 month contract run? So will there be a return to Eagle paying for the insurance in July?

By: Kappa TA

Kappa TA — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 18:21:31 +0000

UPDATE: According to THE DAILY, Mayor Bandy has accepted a 20-hour weekly contract with BSU that began Jan. 20 and runs through the end of the fiscal year, June 26. Salary: $19,707 funded through a U.S. Department of Energy grant. Title: associate director for the National Geothermal Data System. Benefits: Bandy has said he has informed the city council that his health care bennies will be provided through BSU with a savings to Eagle of $13,000.

EDITOR NOTE–Thanks for the update. Nice gesture to save the folks in Eagle the cost of bennies. Also nice deal to get bennies on a 20 hr. job!

By: Werner

Werner — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:24:18 +0000

Suckling on two public tits at the same time! As far as the city of Eagle goes, hey you guys voted him in deal with it as you will. BSU on the other hand, job well done. Despite the academic job title it looks like this position has more to do with stroking polititians for money than anything science related. Clearly this guy knows how to extract funds from the public sector. I guess you found your man.

By: Robert

Robert — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 14:30:52 +0000

I don’t really have a problem with him having a second job.
My problem is that most second jobs pay about $6.50 a hr. So is being Eagle mayor his full time job or his part time job?

By: alike

alike — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:32:00 +0000

I recall Bandy listing two job titles in his letter to the Valley Times. In these days of spiraling tuition costs, how can what sounds to be two important posts, be covered in 30 hrs a week, or is this just an appointment? With all the unemployment, BSU couldn’t find someone without a full time job already that may be able to put in even more hours and do a terrific job? I don’t see alot of lofty qualification in Bandy or in his performance as mayor, certainly not to the caliber of the high cost for him and assistant. 70 hrs a week is 10 hr. days, 7 days a week (talking minimum time here). Don’t see Bandy being up to that level.

By: Kappa TA

Kappa TA — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 18:16:01 +0000

For Eagle Mayor Bandy’s response to questions from a constituent regarding his BSU job, go to:

http://www.valleytimesidaho.com/subscriptions.html

Download this week’s edition, read his remarks and judge for yourselves.

By: Kappa TA

Kappa TA — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:23:17 +0000

Patty,

No one has said anything negative about Eagle city hall workers. Ms. McDavid has simply raised the valid question about the mayor holding two full-time jobs without disclosure to the City Council and electorate who have a right to know. Anyone who does follow Eagle city news knows that Ms. McDavid is a local activist with strong opinions shared by others. Don’t turn legitimate questions that any good reporter would ask a politician into an attack on Ms. McDavid’s character. The mayor should request an opinion about his job status from the city attorney to ensure there are no conflicts and should make full disclosure about his hours, etc., and how he plans to balance his dual jobs and still give his best to the city of Eagle.

By: cyclops

cyclops — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 05:50:29 +0000

Thank you Patty. Although there are some questions to be asked about the mayor’s time allocation, I have had the very pleasant opportunity to work with the staff at city hall. They are among the most competent people there are. They take “multi-tasking” to a whole different level. All the while they are as pleasant as they can be. Truly an assett to Eagle

By: Patty

Patty — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 04:29:09 +0000

A CORRECTION – While I find it refreshing to read a comment such as Timms, (one that is not a witch hunt or biased, just an honest observation) I feel it is necessary to make a correction. The Mayor did NOT hire a new full time assistant position. In fact when Mayor Bandy was sworn into office, Nancy Merrill’s former assistant was still in the office. She ended up moving and Mayor Bandy hired another assistant (at a REDUCED salary) that has worked there almost two years.

An interesting note, this assistant that is so “unnecessary” is also the Webmaster for the City of Eagle, received a $6000 grant to pay part of her salary so she could assist the Arts Commission, (who lost their staff person in the layoffs), assists several other committees, is the back up for both the Clerks Office and Water Department as well as assists Mayor Bandy.

McDavid will do anything she can to twist and turn the story to slam Mayor Bandy. Maybe she should take a good look at herself…after all the citizens of Eagle have rejected her candidacies THREE times. Maybe it’s time to let it go and move on.

While the Mayor’s and his assistant’s salaries are constantly compared to those of other Cities, no one ever stops to mention that other Cities have significantly more staff members ranging from 6 to 22 depending on the City. Mayor Bandy has one. If you compare over all budgets of the Mayor’s offices, the City of Eagle is getting a screaming deal.

If his critics would focus on being part of the solution rather than the problem, Eagle could come together as a community to be admired.

One final point, while I do not work for the City or know Mayor Bandy personally, I do know several great employees of Eagle City Hall and am frankly tired of reading absolute CRAP about a hardworking group of people, who really do care about the City of Eagle.