Maria and Mistrust: Why Citizens Are Finding Orono Council member Maria Veach untrustworthy?
During the 4/22/24 City Council meeting, Ms. Veach brought up how she is trying to build trust with the community. One must earn trust, and when a relationship is so damaged by several factors, it may be an impossible hill to climb.
Since #mariaveach was appointed to the city council without a public interview, many factors keep building mistrust with the reasons she was selected.
Reason #1: Numerous unacknowledged conflicts of interest.
A conflict of interest occurs when an individual’s personal interests – family, friendships, financial, or social factors – could compromise his or her judgment, decisions, or actions in the workplace or vice versa.
Veach may have several conflicts of interest due to her personal relationships, her preselection for City Council, her lack of governmental experience and the apparent pressure she is under with fellow council members.
First and foremost: She is married to a Long Lake Firefighter. Veach has/or may be influenced by her husband to start the Orono Fire Department.
The Veach’s income partially comes from her husband’s work as a firefighter presently with the city of Long Lake. Veach was selected by the Mayor and his council allies to be on the Fire Advisory Board representing the City of Orono.
Veach was also on the Fire Negotiation Committee representing the City of Orono.
She has publicly stated she has been meeting singly with council members and city employees of Long Lake. This meetings are clear violations of proper city council behavior. City council members are not allowed to be negotiating and representing the city solo without specific council approval, and should always have a city staff member present.
Ms. Veach clearly does not understand that one council member should not go off singly, and try and do deals, especially with other cities that are suing Orono.
Reason #2: Overcommunication = Over sharing = Lack of Clarity
Ms. Veach spends a lot of time discussing issues, but her dissertations come across as wordy at best, and often demeaning of the knowledge that citizens have that doesn’t agree with her. It appears misleading to data dump verbally on the citizens without a clear, and succinct message they can easily grasp. Confusing communication leads to mistrust and devaluing the citizens’ time.
Reason #3: Ignoring Citizen’s Input
This is perhaps the greatest reason there is apparent mistrust with Ms. Veach. She deflects, and tries to talk citizens out of their opinion instead of listening, and creating action plans to implement their needs, and desires. No one wants to be talked out of their opinion, nor do they want to be talked into ugly buildings that are too large or misguided, and tens of millions of dollars in duplicate fire service (so that her husband can have his own fire department). She ignores or counters citizen input that does not square with her personal wants.
Reason #4: Lack of Appointment Interview will Never go away
Ms. Veach was sought out and preselected for City Council without citizen input. This is a faux pas on the part of Mayor Walsh, but Ms. Veach could have done something about it. She could have insisted on being publicly interviewed when she returned from vacation. She did not, and therefore this issue will never go away. Was there a reason she was given special treatment?
Reason #5 Trying to negotiate with Long Lake without Citizens, City Council or City Staff
What was she thinking? She has publicly stated she has been meeting singly with council members and city employees of Long Lake. This meetings are clear violations of proper city council behavior. City council members are not allowed to be negotiating and representing the city solo without specific council approval and should always have a city staff member present. Ms. Veach clearly does not understand that one council member should not go off singly and try and do deals, especially with other cities that are suing Orono. Is she speaking for the Mayor as well as City Staff, and all of the City Council? This does not create any trust from any of the stakeholders in this contested fire issue. This is not following City process, and could possibly get Orono in more legal trouble.
Reason #6: Continually using “I’m learning” as an excuse
Ms. Veach has had 7-8 months to learn the City Codes, State Statutes, take League of Minnesota Cities training, read, watch past meeting videos, attend other city meetings and in general get up to speed.
No one expects her to know everything, but we do expect her to know about the topic for which she is speaking. She keeps asking citizens to take time to meet with her personally so she can get up to speed. It is up to her to get knowledgeable on doing her job, and not wasting the citizen’s time. And if she is still “learning” why does she have key roles on committees?
Reason #7: Votes in block with Mayor Walsh
How can there be a balanced, nonpartisan Council with block voting by selected Orono City Council members - Veach, Crosby, Johnson, and Walsh? Does Ms. Veach have original thoughts? Original research? Original data to support the Citizens? Apparently not, because she votes in block with Mayor Walsh 100% of the time no matter what the issue which builds more mistrust.
#mariaveach has not been elected to the city council by the Orono citizens. She needs to be aware that she should not be making big decisions for the city with such a lack of proper council procedures and a general sense of mistrust of why she was appointed to the council to begin with. As an appointed member without any prior city role (park or planning commissioner), she should not be having key roles in committees or involved in negotiating deals that could benefit her family. No wonder why the Orono citizens are mistrustful.
Make sure to attend City Council meetings to place your voice on the public record. Your voice matters! #togetherwearebetter @friendsoforono
