Eden Prairie residents talk, mayor silent about expenses

Most weeks, few people address the Eden Prairie City Council during open microphone sessions immediately before regularly scheduled meetings. But with the city's mayor on the hot seat for filing inaccurate expense reports, more than a dozen people took their turn to sound off Tuesday night.

A chill filled the council chambers as city leaders had turned up the air conditioning in anticipation of a large turnout of supporters and critics expected to weigh in on the controversy that has swirled around Mayor Phil Young since last month's revelation that police were investigating irregularities in his expense account reports.

Young was present at the meeting but did not comment on any of the comments.

Many of those who spoke described Young as a committed, caring community leader who has the city's best interests at heart and is the victim of a political witch hunt.

"I grant you that Phil's bookkeeping is lacking a bit, but he didn't collect; he was busy doing the people's work for the city," said Don Opheim, a city resident since 1968. "Phil Young is the best mayor I have had the good fortune to know in my 42 years in Eden Prairie. I hope you run again. I hope Phil stays on."

Many of the speakers showed support for Young, who has been mayor for three years, but others called him an embarrassment and demanded his ouster.

"We are your clients and to bill us for mileage for meetings within blocks of your downtown office is not OK," said Jack Rhode. "We, the taxpayers, have the right to demand that our mayor and elected officials are squeaky clean. Sorry, Phil, you are not. You don't belong as our mayor."

Young, a trial lawyer at Moss & Barnett in Minneapolis, has admitted to filing the erroneous reports but said he did not file expenses for scores of other events he could have claimed for reimbursement. The false reports were recently discovered by City Manager Scott Neal, who was doing a routine evaluation of reimbursement forms.

The findings led to an investigation by Plymouth police. Their findings were sent to Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman, who declined to press charges, saying Young engaged in "sloppy bookkeeping" but did not intend to defraud the city. Young's file is now in the hands of independent prosecutor Chris Renz. No decision has been made on whether to charge Young with a misdemeanor.

Neal did not know specifically how the council members would use constituents' comments, but said they would likely raise questions and issues to be addressed in assessing Young's case.