KCK mayor angrily storms out after shutting down requests for new county administrator search
Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas, Mayor Tyrone Garner angrily stormed out of a special session, abruptly ending the meeting Tuesday after denying county commissioners’ request for a nationwide search for a permanent county administrator.
“I’m not here to play politics, and I won’t,” Garner said.
The newly-elected mayor adjourned the meeting and promptly exited the commission chambers inside the Unified Government’s municipal building, leaving several commissioners looking stunned.
Commissioners had called the special session in hopes of convincing Garner to start the process of looking for a new county administrator following a report concerning interim county administrator Cheryl Harrison-Lee, who was appointed to the position unanimously on Jan. 6.
Last month, The Star published a story in which four commissioners raised concerns about Harrison-Lee’s time commitment as county administrator after it was revealed her consulting firm, Harrison-Lee Development and Consulting, has been under contract with Kansas City, Missouri, for several years and is seeking a new multi-year contract with the city.
All 10 commissioners spoke during the special session on Tuesday, expressing desires to begin the search.
Commissioners did not bring up the concerns reported by The Star during the meeting. A few commissioners said the nationwide search was not a negative reflection of Harrison-Lee’s job.
“I don’t know if we can identify that we have the very best candidate to do that work for us, which I reiterate is critical, if we don’t post the job nationwide, conduct a search, conduct interviews, and select the candidate who we think is best from all those who may apply,” said Commissioner Melissa Bynum, At-large District 1. “It’s such a critical and important job.”
Commissioner Gayle Townsend, District 1, said that calling for a national search is “not a knock in any way on Ms. Harrison-Lee.”
This is the second time since March that commissioners have tried to initiate an at-large search, and the second time Garner has shut down the attempts.
After the meeting, Commissioner Angela Markley, District 6, said that a process to find a permanent administrator could take about six months. But, she added, the job market could make the process last longer.
“We want to get on top of it and make sure that we have plenty of time to make sure we get enough resumes to really have a discussion and see all the candidates before us,” she told The Star.
Harrison-Lee, Markley said, was the only candidate for the interim administrator that was presented before the commission. The first time several commissioners met her was on Jan. 6.
If a nationwide search had been approved, Harrison-Lee would be allowed to apply.
“We need to start the search before the last day of her contract because we have to have an administrator in place and there has to be somebody permanent appointed,” Markley told The Star.
Garner championed Harrison-Lee’s appointment and had expressed hope that she would become the full-time administrator.
On Tuesday, Garner said he stands behind Harrison-Lee and said she’s only been in the job for four months.
“We need to give her time to do the work that needs to be done,” Garner said. “I feel really bad for Ms. Harrison-Lee having to endure a commission that is coming forward and say, “Do a national search,’ when she hasn’t even been here for the duration of her contract,” he said.
Markley and Commissioner Christian Ramirez, District 3, told The Star that Harrison-Lee would still be able to perform her job throughout the search.
“We need her to be performing her duties while this search is going on,” Markley said.
Added Ramirez, “While she is still county administrator she will still do the work, so I do not agree with his argument whatsoever.”
Commissioners raise concerns
The Star previously reported that several commissioners had heard complaints from staff within the Unified Government that Harrison-Lee is hard to reach and is at times unavailable.
Harrison-Lee’s contract with the Unified Government allows for her to still accept consulting or other business opportunities, “with the understanding that such arrangement must not be incompatible or interfere with or conflict with the duties and responsibilities,” of her job, her contract says.
Her consulting firm has been under contract with Kansas City, Missouri for several years. It helps administer the Central City Economic Development tax — a special sales tax that raises funds to boost development on Kansas City’s East Side, where neighborhoods were redlined by banks and neglected by political leaders for decades.
While she has been consulting with the CCED for several years, her firm is now up for a contract worth more than $3 million to take over day-to-day administration of the program.
Two commissioners, Mike Kane, District 5, and Brian McKiernan, District 2, both said they believe Harrison-Lee has a conflict of interest.
After the story published, Ramirez said on Twitter that he believes it’s a conflict of interest for Harrison-Lee to work for both cities.
