BY ED FELIEN
Brad Bourn has prepared a special welcoming gift for Al Bangoura, the new superintendent of parks due to take office on Jan. 20. Almost the first thing on his desk will be the contract to hire an intergovernmental relations administrator.
Last month we noted: “Park Board President Brad Bourn appointed his best campaign worker, Kendall Killian, to a $114,000-a-year consulting contract. They broke the contract into six-month periods, so it didn’t need board approval and a public hearing. The board would have probably approved the contract anyway because Killian helped in five of the new board members’ campaigns.”
There was such a loud public outcry about the hiring of a political campaign manager to act as an agent of the Park Board to other local governmental bodies, that Bourn decided to create a new staff position and have an open application process.
The Park Board has invited anyone interested to apply for the position of intergovernmental relations administrator. It’s a board-appointed position. It pays $78,000 to $92,128.47 annually. Applications close at 4:30 p.m. Jan. 18.
If Killian gets appointed, then it looks like Bourn hotwired the process. Sadly, it casts a spotlight on a common practice of many DFL elected officials. They use government money to hire their re-election campaign staff.
To pay someone out of the public trough, money that is given from the taxpayers in the public trust, just to advance your own personal political ambition is a corruption of the democratic process and the first step toward an oligarchy meant to serve a privileged class of professional politicians.
The Park Board has to be put on notice that if they hire this guy, then he cannot work on anyone’s campaign because it would look like graft and corruption reminiscent of Tammany Hall.
Anyone can apply for the job. You need a bachelor’s degree in public administration, political science, government, public affairs or a related field of study and seven years of experience in professional public policy administration. An equivalent combination of relevant education and experience may be considered.
The MPRB conclude their posting: “To apply for this full-time appointed position, applicants must complete an online application at www.minneapolisparks.org/jobs and attach a cover letter and resume by the application deadline. Late applications will be rejected.”
