While the voters of South Lake Tahoe, of which I am one, successfully ousted the incumbents on Nov. 6, the current electeds are up to more shenanigans.

At the Oct. 16 City Council meeting, a majority of the council agreed to present a proclamation to the city manager who resigned at the beginning of the year and to the city clerk who retired last summer.

Nov. 13 was the last full meeting at which these five electeds will be at the helm of the city. This is when the proclamations were to be presented. However, the agenda for that lone meeting in November only recognizes the people who served on the Cannabis Working Group.

The mayor, who was voted off the council, did not answer my question as to why the former city manager is not being recognized. This one-term councilmember so hates confrontation and so hates taking responsibility. The mayor has control over what gets placed on the agenda. She, again, has overstepped her authority by not listening to what her colleagues wanted. Shame on her.

After all, in the Tahoe Daily Tribune on Oct. 12 the mayor said, “I can comment that Ms. (Nancy) Kerry brought her talents, her passions and her expertise to our city. We are fortunate to have had her leadership during a time of significant economic development. Her legacy can be seen throughout our community.”

So, mayor, why no public proclamation?

The purpose of the proclamation in some ways was to erase the black cloud that still hovers over this little hamlet because of how the city manager’s departure was handled. To this day the public does not know why the city manager is gone.

I do. In part it was political. Could someone of authority just step up and admit it? It’s time. The city manager’s work wasn’t the issue; look at her accomplishments and her reviews even in summer 2017. She did the work the council directed her to do and even more.

Her departure was also in part because the council relied on bad legal advice from the former city attorney. (Notice how no one suggested she get a proclamation.) That bad advice and shoddy reporting by the town’s once upon a time five-day-a-week newspaper has helped to derail the city manager’s career. Like her or not, no one deserved to be put through the crap she had to endure this last year.

Just clear her name and the council’s reputation.

There are times in life people don’t like someone. This was it. It was led by the guy who finished in eighth place in the election. He has problems with strong women. That is why he was able to get the mayor to be the third vote in getting the city manager to resign. He only had to turn the lone weak woman on the council, aka the mayor. Shame on them.

South Lake Tahoe this month voted for three unique individuals. Let’s hope they restore the trust of the people. And let’s hope the new city manager who comes aboard Dec. 5 won’t have to ever be paid out 12 month’s severance at taxpayer’s expense. The former city manager’s contract called for nine month’s severance. While I completely disagree with any severance built into a contract, it is there to deal with situations like the one in South Lake Tahoe — when politics outweigh performance.

Fingers are crossed we’ve turned a page in South Lake Tahoe with the decisive vote this month.

Kathryn Reed

South Lake Tahoe, California

Editor’s note: The reference to “shoddy reporting” regards an extensively sourced story reported over months. The Tribune has and will continue to stand by its reporting.