Slim majority of City Council says ‘no confidence’ in Mayor Troup

QUINCY – Before a packed Quincy City Council chambers, the city’s aldermen voted 7-6-1 that they had no longer had confidence in the administration of Mayor Mike Troup.

While the unprecedented action has no real consequences, it sends a message that the city’s governing body hasn’t been pleased with the first two years of the mayor’s first term.

Aldermen Greg Fletcher (R-1st Ward), Jeff Bergman (R-2nd Ward), Dave Bauer (D-2nd Ward), Kelly Mays (R-3rd Ward), Mike Farha (R-4th Ward), Richie Reis (D-6th Ward) and Jake Reed (R-6th Ward) voted against Troup.

Aldermen Eric Entrup (R-1st Ward), Brianna Rivera (R-3rd Ward), Tony Sassen (R-4th Ward) Mike Rein (R-5th Ward), Ben Uzelac (D-7th Ward) and Jack Holtschlag (D-7th Ward) voted in support of the mayor.

Alderman Glen Ebbing (R-5th Ward) abstained from voting, citing his short time on the council as a reason he did not wish to pick a side. Ebbing and Reed were elected as newcomers in April.

“I do not have the history or the information that the other aldermen have,” Ebbing said. “Three and a half days is not enough time for me to evaluate to evaluate who is for or against this.”

Rivera, who has only been on the council for six months, said the city elected Troup in 2021 and they would “have another chance to have their voice heard very soon” as the next mayoral election will take place in less than two years in April 2025.

Troup, who had no comment following the council’s action, said he would decide on a re-election bid sometime in August.

Bergman made the motion and Farha seconded it. They were two of the four aldermen who put the vote on the agenda along with Fletcher and Reis.

Bergman cited “overwhelming concerns” from the public he has heard regarding the Troup administration and how the city is being run.

“This is not a power struggle,” Bergman said. “It’s my duty and responsibility to have this discussion with my seatmates. Dealing with the frustrations I hear on a daily basis. Not only with my neighbors but with people on the street. My wife jokes that I can’t go to the grocery store and pick up a gallon of milk in less than an hour.

“I can count on one hand over the last year, year and a half, the number of people who have spoken to me in support of the mayor and this administration. There’s not enough hands in this room to count the amount of people who have voiced their displeasure and their frustration and their mistrust in the mayor and this administration.”

Fletcher said while he like the mayor personally, he works for the people and not the administration.

“My obligation is to the residents of Ward 1 and, to a certain extent, the residents of the whole city,” he said. “I feel like I’ve been labeled as one of the four who went against the mayor. Absolutely not…it’s unbelievable the number of people who come up to me and say ‘what are you going to do about the mayor?'”

Mays admitted the vote had no legal ramifications.

“The fact is we all have to learn to work together,” she said. “We have 14 aldermen and one mayor and we have to be willing to compromise, give things up and listen to each other.”

In other action, aldermen approved:

• An agreement with InterAct Public Safety Systems of Chicago valued at $24,993.51 be extended for another year.
• The paperless billing customer incentive program to issue $5 refunds to customers who enroll in paperless billing between September 1, 2023, and December 31, 2023.
• A quote from CentralSquare of Chicago of $21,084 for the purchase of CentralSquare’s Fusion, required to serve as a gateway between InvoiceCloud and the AS400.
• Paying invoices totaling $8,674.01 from Hydro-Kinetics of St. Louis for parts and services.
• Quotes from Midwest Meter, Inc., of Edinburg, Ill. totaling $23,394.96 for the purchase of water meters and meter accessories.
• A bid from D&L Excavating of Rushville in the amount of $100,592 for the installation of 430’ of 6” watermain from North 24th Street to Dusty Lane.
• A quote from Midwest Meter, Inc., of Edinburg, IL in the amount of $22,500 for two Trimble handheld receivers.
• Paying an invoice from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency for annual NPDES Permit fees in the amount of $72,500.
• Paying an invoice in the amount of $31,268.25 from Kroll for the year 2 payment of the 3-year contract for Kroll Responder services.
• An Ordinance granting a Special Use Permit for the commercial sale of portable buildings at 900-920 Maine Street as requested, with the following condition: that the placement of the portable buildings not impair the visibility of drivers or pedestrian along 9th Street or Maine Street.