Politics & Government

Mayor's Veto Puts Towing Contract Back on the Agenda

O'Fallon City Council approved the towing bid 6-3 at the Feb. 10 meeting.

Mayor Bill Hennessy vetoed the decision to award the city towing contract to Rodlin Enterprises, operated as Budget Towing.

Each bill or resolution passed by the city council goes to the mayor, who may either sign or return it to the city clerk -- within ten days -- citing reasons for disapproval.

In a statement to the city clerk dated Feb. 16, Hennessy said council members failed to provide specific reasons for selecting Budget Towing over the other four bids submitted. 

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“Moreover, in accord with prior council direction, city staff has been in the process of refining the bidding documents and relevant specifications and review criteria in order to solicit new proposals for consideration,” Hennessy said in the statement. “There is no reason why that careful and deliberate process should now be peremptorily abandoned by the council.”

Budget Towing , Sherman Towing and three other companies submitted bids to the city. In November, city staff recommended continuing the contract with the city’s current provider, Sherman Towing, citing a positive working relationship and the company's possession of the required equipment.

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That same month city council members rejected Sherman Towing’s bid and advised city staff to refine the process and seek new bids. 

Sherman Towing, owned by Dennis Sherman, has been providing services to O'Fallon for several years. Budget Towing, managed by Dennis' brother Rodney Sherman, held the contract prior to Sherman.

According to Assistant United States Attorney James Crowe, Rodney Sherman was sentenced to two months in prison in 2009 for filing false income tax returns.

Rodney Sherman also filed a lawsuit last September against the City of O’Fallon, former mayor Donna Morrow, an employee of Sherman Towing and several others, seeking damages relating to acts that interfered with the city’s relationship with Budget Towing.

Mayor Hennessy did not cite Rodney Sherman’s conviction or the lawsuit as reasons for the veto in his statement to the city clerk last week. He told O’Fallon Patch those issues were for the courts to handle.

Ward 5 Councilman Mike Pheney said he voted against hiring Budget Towing at the last city meeting, because he would like the city to follow through with the refined bidding process as planned.

He said Rodney Sherman’s conviction should not eliminate Budget Towing from the process, but he does not think it is proper to award the contract to the company with the pending lawsuit against the city.

“I feel like we can’t do business until we get that settled and that’s the reason I voted no, that and I’d like to see a rebid and all businesses treated fairly,” Pheney said.

Any item vetoed by the mayor must be placed on the next meeting’s agenda, at which time council members may uphold or override the mayor’s decision or take no action.

The next city council meeting is on Feb. 24 at 7:30 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

 


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