Bremerton’s Old Boys’ Club
Promoting "Yes-Men"
Mayor Wheeler consistently promotes from within, favoring those who align with his views rather than seeking out diverse talent and fresh perspectives.
Mr. Wheeler has hired 5 important leadership positions, every one was filled by a white guy who already worked in the department:
Public Works Director, 2019
City Engineer, 2019
Financial Director, 2019
Fire Chief, 2020
Police Chief, 2021
From the Kitsap Sun
Wheeler buckled in a moment that demanded courage
Bremerton upholds its values with its Diversity and anti-descrimination programs. But a vague threat from President Trump made Mr. Wheeler’s bend the knee.
The mayor’s solution was to eliminate all diversity programs and halt the hiring of Bremerton’s first full-time Diversity officer. After a quick debate, Mr. Wheeler was forced to backtrack and keep programs moving forward.
Mayoral Candidate Jeff Coughlin lead the effort to overturn the Mayor’s bad decision. Mayoral Candidate Marwan Cameron also opposed Mr. Wheeler’s decision.
Mayor Wheeler is out of step with Bremerton on diversity and on standing up the Federal Government.
Who runs Mr Wheeler’s campaign?
The Mayor’s campaign manager, Mark Biggs, is a city employee in Bremerton’s Public Works Department. That doesn’t seem right.
In addition to his day job, Mr. Biggs runs a political consulting agency and has held leadership positions in the Kitsap County Democratic Party.
His dual role as public employee and campaign advisor is not necessarily illegal, but it raises questions about conflicts of interest, impartiality and use of government assets.
Wasteful Contracting
The city continues to rely on expensive contractors like Seattle-based Parametrix. Parametrix is currently working on no fewer than 7 city contracts, totaling more than $3 million.
When we recycle the same contractor, you recycle the same designs and ideas. Innovation? Transparency? Not so much.
A better solution would be to use these projects to develop in-house talent. Why not hire skilled engineers to complete at least some of this work for the city? We can build our own expertise and keep our tax dollars in the city.
