Evanston’s former community and economic development director is in trouble with his former professional association over the way he got his new job.
The International City/County Management Association issued a news release Wednesday saying it has censured and barred Lehman Walker from the group for the way he got the new job as city manager of University City, Mo.
Walker had been community development director in University City before moving to Evanston.
The association said that while in Evanston Walker had conversations with officials and political candidates in University City criticizing the performance of the city manager there, which ultimately led to his being hired to replace his former boss, about seven months after he left for Evanston.
The association’s ethics rules say he should have reported the initial contact from the officials to his former boss and then refused to have further discussions with the people who’d contacted him.
In a preemptive move, Walker told local reporters in University City Feb. 17 that he was quitting the group as a cost-saving measure.
And University City’s mayor, Shelley Welsch, Wednesday called the association’s move “a politically-motivated attempt to smear” Walker that has no impact on his ability “to provide his excellent management skills to the challenges facing our City.”