Second Round of Robocalls Hits Ward 1

A robocall survey hit Brentwood’s Ward 1 for the second time in two weeks.

The second round of calls went out on March 24, asking residents what "personality traits" they thought were important in someone seeking elective office. No specific elective office was mentioned in the questionaire.

"We wish to stress that no individual candidate has sponsored this poll," was stated before the questions were asked. The backer of the calls was not identified.

On March 10, residents of Ward 1 received a robocall survey seeking their views on Brentwood city government. At the March 14 board of aldermen meeting, after several residents responded negatively to the calls, .

Patch tried to reach Kelly this week to ask if he had paid for the second round of calls, as well as the first.

Phone messages left for the mayor at city hall, his office at , his cell phone and home phone, from Tuesday through Thursday evening, were not returned.

Ward 1 aldermanic candidate Maureen Saunders said she doesn't like that the supporter of the poll wasn't identified.

"If I have a question I ask it out in the open," she said. "I enter my name and address when I ask questions at the podium at board of alderman meetings. I am not afraid to go on the record."

Jim Bischoff, running against Saunders, said he didn't know about the calls until Tuesday.

"I don't know who is behind it or what's going on," he said. "It's unfortunate that somebody has made this municipal election into this."

City Administrator Bola Akande said she hadn't heard of the recent calls.

"Since this is the first time I'm hearing about it, the city was not involved in doing it," she said.

A drive around the ward Tuesday morning uncovered half a dozen residents with caller ID who don’t answer calls from anyone they don’t know. One did, though, and shared how he voted on the poll.

“I voted for (Maureen Saunders)", Tim McGee said. “We need accountability in the city.”

Read interviews of and in Patch.