Editorial

By Jon A. Brake

Ed Klimek is the new Mayor of Manhattan. Klimek took over at Tuesday nights meeting from Bruce Snead. Manhattan has a Commission / City Manager form of government. The City has five Commissioners. Each April the Commission votes for a new Mayor and Mayor Pro-tem. Mark Taussig replaced Klimek as Mayor-Pro-Tem Tuesday.

The Mayor presides over the Commission meetings and along with the other Commissioners votes on each item. The Mayor does not have veto power.

The Commissioners are elected at-large on a non-partisan basis but the job is very partisan. The real power of the Mayor is in the appointment of committees and boards. Board members usually reflect the political agenda of the Mayor. All of the most recent Mayors have been Liberal. Because of that most of the City committees and board members have been more Liberal than Conservative in their thinking.

The Manhattan Area Planning Board is a good example. The Board has required new businesses to comply with new "commercial building guidelines" which have never been approved by the City Commission. One of the remarks to the Home Depot developer was "Your orange strip is too bright, could you tone it down." The board has become arrogant with such statements as "That design may be all right for other communities but not for Manhattan."

Here is a list of Mayors and Commission members starting in 1951 when the City went to the Commission form of government:

May 1951

Z. R. Hook, Mayor

Lillian Bascom

Harold Howe

Ashley L. Monahan

Richard D. Rogers
 

May 1952

Richard D. Rogers, Mayor

Lillian Bascom

Z. R. Hook

Harold Howe

Ashley L. Monahan
 

May 1953

Harold Howe, Mayor

Lillian Bascom

N.D. Harwood

Z. R. Hook

Ray P. Martin
 

May 1954

Ray P. Martin, Mayor

Lillian Bascom

N. D. Harwood

Z. R. Hook

Harold Howe
 

May 1955

N. D. Harwood, Mayor

Charles Arthur

L. E. Conrad

Ray P. Martin

Ray H. Pollom
 

May 1956

Charles Arthur, Mayor

L. E. Conrad

N. D. Harwood

Ray P. Martin

Ray H. Pollom
 

May 1957

Ray H. Pollom, Mayor

Charles Arthur

L. E. Conrad

N. D. Harwood

Ray P. Martin
 

May 1958

L. E. Conrad, Mayor

Charles Arthur

N. D. Harwood

Ray P. Martin

Ray H. Pollom
 

May 1959

Ray P. Martin, Mayor

Emil C. Fischer

N. D. Harwood

Cecil D. Hunter

Lowell E. Jack
 

May 1960

Cecil D. Hunter, Mayor

Emil C. Fischer

N. D. Harwood

Lowell E. Jack

Ray P. Martin
 

May 1961

Lowell E. Jack, Mayor

Forest D. Campbell

Emil C. Fischer

Cecil D. Hunter

Richard D. Rogers
 

May 1962

Emil C. Fischer, Mayor

Forest D. Campbell

Cecil D. Hunter

Lowell E. Jack

Richard D. Rogers
 

May 1963

Forest D. Campbell, Mayor

Daniel Beatty

Holly C. Fryer

Richard D. Rogers

Mrs. William C. Tremmel
 

May 1964

Richard D. Rogers, Mayor

Daniel Beatty

Forest D. Campbell

Holly C. Fryer

Mrs. William C. Tremmel
 

May 1965

Mrs. William C. Tremmel, Mayor

Forest D. Campbell

Holly D. Fryer

John F. Stites

A. W. "Art" Torluemke
 

May 1966

Holly C. Fryer, Mayor

Forest D. Campbell

John F. Stites

Mrs. William C. Tremmel

A. W. "Art" Torluemke
 

May 1967

John F. Stites, Mayor

Donn J. Everett

Jack Goldstein

A. W. "Art" Torluemke

Barbara C. Yeo
 

May 1968

A. W. "Art" Torluemke, Mayor

Donn J. Everett

Jack Goldstein

John F. Stites

Barbara C. Yeo

On January 7, 1969, William O. Rehschuh took the oath of office to fill the unexpired term of Donn J. Everett.
 

May 1969

Barbara C. Yeo, Mayor

Murt Hanks

Larry Lindbloom

Robert D. Linder

William O. Rehschuh
 

May 1970

William O. Rehschuh, Mayor

Murt Hanks

Larry Lindbloom

Robert D. Linder

Barbara C. Yeo
 

May 1971

Robert D. Linder, Mayor

James N. Akin

Keith L. Bell

Murt Hanks

T. Russell Reitz
 

April 1972

Murt Hanks, Mayor

James N. Akin

Keith L. Bell

Robert D. Linder

T. Russell Reitz

On September 12, 1972, Lois Fink took the oath of office to fill the unexpired term of Keith Bell.
 

April 1973

James N. Akin, Mayor

Dean Coughenour

Murt Hanks

T. Russell Reitz

Robert W. Smith
 

April 1974

T. Russell Reitz, Mayor

James N. Akin

Dean Coughenour

Murt Hanks

Robert W. Smith
 

April 1975

Murt Hanks, Mayor

Dean Coughenour

Robert D. Linder

T. Russell Reitz

Robert W. Smith
 

April 1976

Dean Coughenour, Mayor

Murt Hanks

Robert D. Linder

T. Russell Reitz

Robert W. Smith
 

April 1977

T. Russell Reitz, Mayor

Terrance L. Glasscock

Robert D. Linder

Henry Otto III

Robert W. Smith
 

April 1978

Robert D. Linder, Mayor

Terrance L. Glasscock

Henry Otto III

T. Russell Reitz

Robert W. Smith

On August 1, 1978, Edward F. Horne took the oath of office to till the unexpired term of Robert W. Smith

April 1979

Terrance L. Glasscock, Mayor

Wanda L. Fateley

Edward F. Horne

Eugene A. Klingler

T. Russell Reitz
 

April 1980

Edward F. Horne, Mayor

Wanda L. Fateley

Terrance L. Glasscock

Eugene A. Klingler

T. Russell Reitz
 

April 1981

T. Russell Reitz, Mayor

Wanda T. Fateley

David J. Fiser

Eugene A. Klingler

Suzanne Lindamood
 

April 1982

Eugene A. Klingler

Wanda L. Fateley

David J. Fiser

Suzanne Lindamood

T. Russell Reitz
 

April 1983

Wanda L. Fateley, Mayor

David J. Fiser

Eugene A. Klingler

Suzanne Lindamood

J. Eric "Rick" Mann
 

May 1984

David J. Fiser, Mayor

Wanda L. Fateley

Eugene A. Klingler

Suzanne Lindamood

J. Eric "Rick" Mann
 

April 1985

Suzanne Lindamood, Mayor

Nancy R. Denning

David J. Fiser

E. A. Klingler

J. Eric "Rick" Mann
 

April 1986

J. Eric "Rick" Mann, Mayor

Nancy Rohles Denning

David J. Fiser

E. A. Klingler

Suzanne Lindamood
 

April 1987

E. A. Klingler, Mayor

Nancy Rohles Denning

David J. Fiser

Kent Glasscock

Richard B. Hayter
 

April 1988

David J. Fiser, Mayor

Nancy Rohles Denning

Kent Glasscock

Richard B. Hayter

E. A. Klingler
 

April 1989

Kent Glasscock, Mayor

Richard Hayter

E. A. Klingler

Roger Maughmer

Richard Seidler
 

April 1990

Richard Hayter, Mayor

Kent Glasscock

E. A. Klingler

Roger Maughmer

Richard Seidler

On December 18, 19990, David J. Fiser took the oath of office to fill the unexpired term of Kent Glasscock.
 

April 1991

E. A. Klingler, Mayor

Helen Cooper

Roger Maughmer

Richard Seidler

Edith Stunkel
 

April 1992

Richard Seidler, Mayor

Helen Cooper

E. A. Klingler

Roger Maughmer

Edith Stunkel
 

April 1993

Roger E. Maughmer, Mayor

Sydney Carlin

Helen G. Cooper

Steve Hall

Edith Stunkel
 

April 1994

Helen G. Cooper, Mayor

Sydney Carlin

Steve Hall

Roger E. Maughmer

Edith L. Stunkel
 

April 1995

Edith L. Stunkel, Mayor

Sydney Carlin

Steve Hall

Justin Kastner

Bruce Snead
 

April 1996

Sydney Carlin, Mayor

Steve Hall

Justin Kastner

Bruce Snead

Edith Stunkel
 

April 1997

Bruce Snead, Mayor

Steve Hall

Ed Klimek

Karen McCulloh

Roger Reitz
 

April 1998

Steve Hall, Mayor

Ed Klimek

Karen McCulloh

Roger Reitz

Bruce Snead
 

April 1999

Roger Reitz, Mayor

Karen McCulloh

Bruce Snead

Ed Klimek

Carol Peak
 

April 2000

Karen McCulloh, Mayor

Bruce Snead

Ed Klimek

Carol Peak

Roger Reitz
 

April 2001

Bruce Snead, Mayor

Ed Klimek

Mark Taussig

Brad Everett

Roger Reitz
 

April 2002

Ed Klimek, Mayor

Mark Taussig

Brad Everett

Roger Reitz

Bruce Snead