The council unanimously chose Dennis Hession to replace West less than two years ago. The same people who promised unity in 2005 are in still power, but they're not exactly working well together. Several of the council members aren't getting along, and many of them have little or no contact with Hession.

The city's gone through several major events since Hession took office. Jack Lynch's departure, Otto Zehm's death, the fire-fighter sex case, the Matrix report, and the new Public Safety Plan come to mind. During several of these situations, council members complained Hession had kept them in the dark while making decisions.

It's hard to say when the working relationship between the council and mayor broke down, but it becomes evident when the city leaders are all in a room together. Last week I was a panelist at a mayoral debate on KSPS. The candidates were cordial and polite to the journalists, but they didn't really speak to each other. There was no chit-chat when they walked into the studio. I was relieved when the control room asked for mic checks just because it broke the silence. Afterwards, only two of the candidates spoke to each other: Dennis Hession and Mike Noder. Debates are usually awkward, but I found the awkwardness between these candidates, who've known each other and worked together for years, unfortunate.