To be productive, members of a legislative body have to work together. One rogue member in a small body can be a sufficient distraction that the body screeches to a halt, constantly sidetracked by that member’s misdeeds. According to a 2011 article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Henry Iwenofu was just such a distraction:
His opponents say he defamed the city attorney, harassed city employees, refused to call on other trustees at meetings and illegally changed an agenda. When Iwenofu – a twice-failed candidate for state representative – became chairman, the power went to his head, they said.
But the problems Iwenofu brought to Uplands Park were more than just decorum.
- Iwenofu “unwittingly locked the city’s new accountant out of the computer at city hall” and was then banned from using city computers.
- He signed a contract for speed cameras without giving trustees time to review it.
- He attempted to remove the city attorney, creating a conflict of interest when his colleagues later sought to remove him from the board.
A fellow trustee criticized Iwenofu for his approach to governing, saying “If you stand back and look at it, it’s like elementary school.” A resident who regularly attended board meetings said, “You cannot work with a tyrant.”
