Handling Council Critics: Is the Customer Always Right?

Paul Mackey, the mayor of the city of Brookstone, is doing his best to manage the city's budget in this time of economic crisis. Having proposed several unpopular options that would slash funding for city services, Mackey, whose temper is wearing thin, has a long conversation with Joan Anderson who is a vocal critic of his budget plans, and after the conversation Ms. Anderson filed a complaint with the police department saying that she had felt personally threatened by the mayor. Though the police find no evidence to support her claim, Anderson continues to contact the mayor until Mackey responds with a terse email. Armed with a copy of this email Ms. Anderson files a complaint with the county clerk saying that the mayor has violated Brookstone's Code of Ethics which calls for city officials to act at all times with "respect, courtesy, and concern." The mayor is furious, and insists that the city council should spent time trying to solve the economic problems of the city rather than wasting time on petty complaints such as this.