Steve Taylor is one of six new councilmembers, operating on a platform of free speech and accessibility
BY: Stephen Buechter
Staff Writer
Former Wildwood adjunct professor Steve Taylor, the man now famous for being tackled by police at an October 2017 Board of Trustees meeting, was elected to Wildwood City Council on April 3. He ran without donations, stating he
didn’t want to be “beholden to any contributors.”
Taylor, one of six new members, ran on a platform of free speech and government access, mirroring the very reason for the October incident, in which Taylor was approaching the board, questioning a policy that he said violated his right to free speech, when he was subsequently body-slammed by an armed policeman.
Though Taylor maintained that he meant the board no harm in approaching them, Taylor lost his job and was issued a no-trespass order, making it illegal for him to step foot on any STLCC campus. The no-trespass order was upheld despite Taylor’s acquittal in court earlier this year, where a circuit judge deemed him no danger.
The situation poses a unique problem for the Wildwood City Council, which often hosts its meetings on the STLCC Wildwood campus and must
now relocate.
Councilwoman Tammy Shea said that some of the council’s meetings have been held at Wildwood since “shortly after the campus opened, because we often have meetings that are, for the lack of a better word, ‘overscheduled’ within our facility. And so whenever that happens, we have property we can often use as well, but the convenience of the college for seating and access made it very convenient.”
Taylor said that STLCC’s refusal to let the council access the Wildwood campus is a violation of his First Amendment rights.
“It’s very frustrating that the college is being so unreasonable as to not allow a duly elected official to serve out his duties. And I feel that they continue to disparage my name even though I’ve been cleared of all charges,” said Taylor. “I would like to say that it is time for the college to move on and let me as a councilman and the city of Wildwood get on with our business.”
Taylor’s platform included stronger accountability and easier accessibility to council members, as the council had previously prevented speakers from speaking if what they planned to say had already been addressed. Taylor said he wants to allow citizens to ask questions of their council members and mayors directly, provided they’ve signed up to speak.
The transparency of Wildwood City Council has been under question before. In June, 2017, Shea’s husband, Dan McLaughlin, was told to leave a Ward 6 town hall meeting which he was filming. McLaughlin clashed with Councilmember Jerry Porter, the former claiming that it was a public meeting and the latter claiming it was not.
Shea said that while she was unsure whether Taylor’s treatment by the college was a “big factor” for his campaign’s success, she considered it a major reason for his decision to run.
“Once you’re denied access and you’re treated poorly and you feel like your rights have been violated, it’s a powerful motivator,” said Shea.
Taylor called the April 3 election a “stunning victory” and mentioned the significance of six board members winning elections without the help of political action committees, organizations designed to pool donations for political candidates.
“I think people are ecstatic that there’s going to be some independence, some grassroots representation on the council and I feel very well received by all my fellow council members,” said Taylor.
Shea also acknowledged the significance of having six city council members “swept out” in one election, calling it “a pretty clear message by the people” that change is needed.
“My fear is that the [the current mayor and some city staff] are failing to understand what the message was. But there’s still time to gauge the response from the senior members,” said Shea. “So I’m hopeful, but I won’t believe it until I see it.”
Kedra Tolson, Executive Director of Marketing and Communications, declined to comment on this issue.
