This opinion by SweetwaterNOW employee David Martin does not reflect the views of SweetwaterNOW or its parent company TRN Media.
“No, I don’t even look at them anymore.”
Rock Springs City Councilman Rick Milonas’ admission of not viewing the city’s bills and claims before voting against them is something that should leave any responsible resident living in Ward 1 feeling concerned. It’s an admission that shows Milonas is abandoning his responsibility to the city.
The bills and claims portion of the Council’s agenda generally doesn’t generate discussion. It’s an item that gets approved, with an occasional bill being taken off of the list for further discussion and approval by the Council should a situation warrant it. The bills are then paid, and city operations continue.
The Council has ample opportunity to look into a bill they have questions about, and city employees are more than willing to answer any questions the Council has. There is no reason for Milonas to vote against the city paying its bills. What he’s voting against include payment of utilities used by the city, services to the city, and small-scale purchases for various departments. Tuesday night’s bills included mold and asbestos mitigation for the Rock Springs Civic Center, a building Milonas has been vocal about saving.
Milonas’ refusal to approve those bills and claims without backing up his claims of government waste is nothing but him turning his back on the responsibilities he agreed to take on when he sought election. Under the right circumstances, Milonas’ vote against the bills and claims could lead to the Council not having the votes needed to pay those bills. That would be a problem that according to Council President Jeannie Demas could cause the city to find itself in small claims court if nonpayment continues.
Whether he intends to or not, Milonas is communicating that his main goal is to undermine the city. Since starting his term in January, Milonas has rarely brought forward thoughtful and measured discussion benefiting the city. What he has done is become one the most critical voices the city has. A conversation he had at a local grocery store became a point of contention as he was allegedly overheard saying city employees were corrupt and incompetent. Mayor Max Mickelson has been a frequent target of verbal attacks from Milonas, with criticisms ranging from critiques of Mickelson’s decisions and alleged slights the mayor has made against him to questioning the mayor’s manhood.
Milonas has grasped at straws for his criticisms too, which has only highlighted his fundamental misunderstanding of how a mayor-centric form of municipal government works. Milonas attempted to claim a recent redesign of the city’s logo demonstrated Mickelson overreaching the powers he has as mayor, not acknowledging the fact the mayoral position in Rock Springs comes with a tremendous amount of administrative power. Milonas has made it clear he wants to unseat Mickelson and become Rock Springs’ next mayor in 2026, but his term thus far has only seen him offering unfounded allegations of mismanagement and waste.
The first year of Milonas’ term as a Rock Springs City Council member is closing and he has at least three more to go should he follow through with and lose his mayoral election bid. There is a lot of time for him to learn how the city functions and develop a clear understanding of his place in those functions, should he choose to. However, admitting to not reading the city’s bills and claims before voting against paying them isn’t a flex and only illustrates his priorities don’t support the city.
