Wichita City Council members raised concerns at a workshop meeting Tuesday over a recent trip made by Mayor Brandon Whipple to Washington, D.C.
Council member Jared Cerullo asked questions about a message the mayor recently posted on Twitter. He said there was no official approval by the Council for this trip and he wanted to ask about the purpose of the trip, calling attention to the Mayor’s description of the November 19th trip as “very productive.”
Mayor Whipple said the trip was not an official trip for the city, and it was not paid for by the city. He said he paid for the trip sponsored by a group called NewDEAL, which calls itself “a selective national network of exceptional, rising, pro-growth progressive state and local elected leaders.” Whipple said he has been involved with the group for the past decade, dating back to the time before he was mayor. In his Tweet, Whipple said the meeting was an update on the new infrastructure law, but no official business was conducted for the city and it was an educational trip.
The Mayor also said he has been reluctant to advertise out-of-town trips because of death threats against him and his family, and he cited a recent arrest of a man over a kidnap plot. Council member Bryan Frye said “none of us deserve death threats” and he expressed sympathy to the mayor over that concern, but Frye said he was just asking for greater transparency. Council member Cindy Claycomb said even if the city didn’t pay for the trip, it sets a bad precedent.
Mayor Whipple asked legal staff for a judgment on whether the trip violated a city ordinance. Deputy city attorney Sharon Dickgrafe said she didn’t have enough information on the trip, and the issue deals with policy and the purpose of the trip. Mayor Whipple said it was an educational trip where he is learning about policy to become a better mayor.
Flying back to Wichita after a very productive trip to DC. Thank you to the @WhiteHouse for hosting a delegation of local & state electeds for an update about the new infrastructure law.
Also, thanks to the @NewDEALLeaders for two days of discussions on policy & best practices. pic.twitter.com/5JJ1gzZWVY
— Dr. Brandon Whipple (@BWhippleKS) November 19, 2021
