Letter to the Editor: It still isn’t clear why Troup apologized or what he apologized for

I must applaud the City Council for refusing to rubber stamp Mayor Troup’s appointment of Angela Caldwell to the Quincy Fire and Police Commission.

This has nothing to do with Ms. Caldwell or her qualifications to serve. It has everything to do with the mayor’s insistence on injecting his personal and, perhaps, political views into the workings of the commission.

Mayor Troup issued an apology of sorts — sorry, not sorry is more like it — after last week’s City Council meeting. It still isn’t clear why or for what he apologized. The inescapable fact is he continues to do everything in his power to subvert the independence of the commission.

The mayor’s claim that diversity on the commission is suddenly an important consideration rings completely hollow, given the fact that his first salvo in this saga was to summarily replace Kerry Anders on the commission with one of his trusted lieutenants, Mike McGlaughlin.

In the same way, it is impossible to take seriously the mayor’s professed concern for the safety and security of our community since his support for Chief Adam Yates has been lukewarm, at best, and nonexistent, at worst. One has to believe morale at the Quincy Police Department is at an all-time low point.

If the mayor wants to issue a genuine apology, I suggest he start with Anders and (Steve) Meckes, both of whom were rewarded for their years of service on the commission by being kicked to the curb without the courtesy of even a phone call from Troup.

Troup has pointed to his track record of service to this community. I am trying my best to respect those past efforts, but the current mess he has made of the Quincy Fire and Police Commission seems to overshadow all else.

Terry Stark
Quincy, Illinois