Former League City official: My resignation had nothing to do with Mark Rohr

Former League City, Texas, Assistant City Administrator David Benson, who resigned recently, posted the following comment on the article in which his departure was noted:

I just became aware of this post and related comments earlier this week and feel it's important that I let you know my choice to leave League City's employ had nothing to do with Mark Rohr's hiring. If it did, I wouldn't have given notice in a manner that keeps me in League City past Mark'ss arrival (during the three weeks I'm to work for him, I plan to do everything I can to foster success for him and League City). 

Beyond that, I would never make such an important life decision based on what people say about someone on the Internet, because it's always possible that folks can get things wrong (as an example, the individual who speculated that I was disappointed in not being selected for the job is incorrect -- I didn't apply for the job, and so I would have been very surprised to have been selected).

 I'm not here to engage or provoke anybody; I just don't want my decision to be misinterpreted as any kind of reflection on Mark's pending arrival. I wish him and League City all the best. And as someone whose family comes from places like Carl Junction and Quapaw and Picher (a generation or so back), I wish the same for the people of Joplin as you continue recovering from the horrible tragedy of 2011. Good luck as you go forward.

KOAM/Fox 14 coverage- Mark Rohr gets new job

KOAM TV 7

League City on Rohr's firing: That's just politics; he was already a candidate for our job.

As some have surmised since former Joplin City Manager Mark Rohr was announced as a finalist for the League City city manager post, the application was in the Texas city council's hands well before the Joplin City Council voted 5-4 to fire Rohr.

It all worked out for Rohr, who was hired by a unanimous vote today.

The tumult leading up to his firing didn’t phase the League City Council.

“That’s politics,” Councilman Todd Kinsey said. “He was already a candidate for our city prior to that happening.

“(It) wouldn’t surprise me if that council found out about it and that could’ve been the catalyst for his release.”

Kinsey said he believes Rohr is a perfect fit for League City.

“He has a wide breadth of knowledge in finance, economic development, infrastructure and utilities,” Kinsey said.

“Most importantly he is proven in building partnerships, which is of critical importance in this day and age.”

Kinsey also praised Rohr’s leadership to rebuild Joplin after the 2011 tornado, but still kept the city’s debt at a minimum.

“His track record of leadership and his vast municipal experience will compliment our city staff’s expertise and council’s vision for the city,” Mayor Tim Paulissen, said.

Rohr should feel comfortable in League City since the Galveston newspaper describes the town as having a "sometimes-dysfunctional council."

Rohr is expected to start the job within the next month.

Texas town gives roar of approval with approval of Rohr as city manager

Media reports indicate that fired Joplin City Manager Mark Rohr has emerged as the choice of the League City, Texas, City Council for its vacant city manager post. The vote was unanimous.

Rohr was announced as one of the four finalists last week, made the first cut to two candidates, then was selected for the position.

The Joplin City Council voted earlier this month, by a 5-4 margin, to fire Rohr, who had been city manager for the past decade.

Complete video- Joplin City Councilman Mike Woolston's press conference

From the Joplin Regional Business Journal

Video- Mark Rohr finalist for League City, Texas, city manager post

A KODE report

Mark Rohr on KZRG: There's some talk about me being reinstated

Fired Joplin City Manager Mark Rohr thinks there is a strong possibility he will soon be back on the job.

"There's some talk about me being reinstated in my position," Rohr said moments ago during an interview with KZRG. "I haven't ruled that out."

That could happen if there is a change in the City Council at the upcoming municipal election.

"There is an election coming in April, I expect the citizens will take care of that, if my messages are any indication."

Rohr said the report by Osage Beach investigator Tom Loraine that cost him his job was "not worth the paper it was written on," referring to it as "a red herring."

The 10 pages that have not been released to the public were full of "rumor and innuendo," Rohr said, adding that it included "half-truths and baldfaced lies."

Rohr said three-fourths of the complaints that were included in that section of the report came from former Water Department employees that he had either fired or would have fired if they had not resigned following controversies in that department last year.

"These people have an ax to grind."

During the interview, Rohr called City Attorney Brian Head, who recommended the hiring of Loraine, a liar and said there was "a conspiracy" to remove him as city manager.

Rohr said he would not be releasing the 10 pages of the report that were redacted from the public version at the present time."I need to talk about that with my lawyer." Rohr said he had refuted everything that was in those 10 pages."

In a Facebook post Wednesday, Rohr said he would be revealing information about "extensive corruption" in Joplin. The KZRG interview was not the forum for doing that, he said, but he added that he would be releasing the information "within the next couple of weeks."

A full podcast of the Mark Rohr interview can be found at KZRG's website.
***
The Turner Report may not cover the world, but at times it runs circles around the Globe. Consider taking a voluntary subscription and help Joplin's alternative news source continue to grow.

Complete video: Wallace-Bajjali presentation to Joplin City Council