Muscatine mayor's removal violated her due process; city administrator may sue for defamation

[rurallib]

http://muscatinejournal.com/news/local/update-judge-rules-on-muscatine-mayor-impeachment/article_1607bb92-1943-5624-9795-bebc1f853b60.html

MUSCATINE — A District Court Judge ruled Tuesday the Muscatine City Council’s removal of Mayor Diana Broderson from office last May was a violation of her right to due process.

Muscatine County District Court Judge Mark Cleve issued a final ruling, vacating the city council’s impeachment vote and requiring the defendants —the city and city council — to pay the mayor’s legal fees.

http://muscatinejournal.com/muscatine/news/local/muscatine-city-administrator-threatens-defamation-lawsuit-against-mayor/article_a12b0fa9-89b8-5cb4-95fa-ebc8f9bdfdfd.html?utm_content=buffera23c1&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=LEEDCC

Muscatine city administrator threatens defamation lawsuit against mayor
MUSCATINE — Muscatine City Administrator Gregg Mandsager released a statement Thursday saying he intends to take legal action against Mayor Diana Broderson for defamation during her term and removal from office.

Throughout Broderson's first term, Mandsager has been at the heart of the controversy, claiming Broderson has made false allegations against him and damaged his reputation.

In multiple interviews with the Muscatine Journal, Broderson has said upon her first meeting with the city administrator, Mandsager aggressively told her "I run this town, not you. What I say goes, not you ..."
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My take is the administrator and the council overplayed their hand. Now the administrator is looking to save face and his professional career.

Just one more reason why I try to avoid that city.

[AJT]

1. I worked for Bandag back in the early to mid 90s, when it was still family owned, and Muscatine

was an odd little town even then.

[rurallib]

2. At that time it was changing from what it was

which was a town where unions had some sway to a town where the money was in charge.

We first moved to the area about 1980. At that time I really liked Muscatine. It was a union town and the people were friendly.
You could palpably feel the changes going on during the Reagan years. By @ 1990 money had asserted itself. The town was much less friendly. It was almost as if a fear was the undercurrent.

As contracts came due, business demanded and got concessions and give backs. Workers who were once middle class were now scraping by.

We used to go there to shop and see friends. Now I refuse to even go there except to see friends. We try not to shop while we are there. I don't want to give any of those merchants a nickel except for a select few.