Print

What Leadership Meetings?

By Jeffrey B. Cohen

July 13, 2009

Larry Deutsch isn't invited anymore.

He says there was a time when Mayor Eddie A. Perez held leadership meetings with his staff and the leaders of the city council before each council meeting.

Not so anymore. Not so for the last two months or so, said Deutsch, the council's minority leader from the Working Families Party.

"It's a huge breakdown in communication and it's an arrogant attitude where there's an unwillingness to talk even if there's a difference of opinion," Deutsch said.

Cityline asked Sarah Barr, Perez's spokesman, to explain. She says the difference is merely one of format. There are no more leadership meetings. Instead, she said, there are updates "done with various council members."

Now you know.