ALTON — Mayor David Goins is addressing the unnecessary controversy surrounding his recently scheduled time off — not because properly scheduled and communicated personal time requires justification, but because misleading attention surrounding it has caused genuine and unnecessary concern among residents.
The mayor says the facts are straightforward.
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Mayor Goins was away from the office for previously planned personal time. The appropriate individuals were informed in advance, including City staff, department leadership, and Mayor Pro Tem Alderwoman Stephanie Elliott, who was prepared to preside over the City Council meeting in his absence. There was no lapse in leadership, no interruption of City business, and no neglect of duty.
“There was nothing unusual, improper, or irresponsible about my scheduled time off,” Mayor Goins stated. “The appropriate individuals knew I would be away, the established process was followed, and the business of the City continued.”
Mayor Goins expressed concern that routine, properly managed time away from the office was portrayed as suggesting he had simply failed to fulfill his responsibilities.
“After five years of faithfully serving as Mayor of the City of Alton, my record of attendance and commitment speaks for itself,” Mayor Goins said. “My absences from Committee of the Whole and City Council meetings have been exceptionally few and have occurred primarily because of personal travel or official City business. To characterize properly scheduled and communicated time off as though there had been some failure of leadership is both misleading and unnecessary.”
The City of Alton has established procedures to ensure continuity of leadership. The Mayor Pro Tem is designated to preside over City Council meetings when the Mayor is unavailable, and the Committee of the Whole is a council committee chaired and conducted by members of the City Council. Those procedures were in place and functioned as intended.
“What I find most troubling is the unnecessary alarm this created among citizens who genuinely believed something was wrong,” Mayor Goins stated. “I have received calls and messages from residents who were sincerely concerned. They deserve the facts —not a manufactured controversy over properly scheduled personal time.”
Mayor Goins emphasized that public officials should be accountable for their conduct and performance. However, accountability must be rooted in facts.
“I welcome legitimate questions and fair scrutiny. That comes with public service,” Mayor Goins said. “But there is a clear difference between accountability and creating a negative narrative where no wrongdoing, policy violation, or failure of leadership occurred.”
Mayor Goins also made clear that his administration will remain focused on the work of serving the people of Alton rather than becoming distracted by every criticism or controversy.
“I will not spend my time responding to every attempt to create controversy,” Mayor Goins stated. “My responsibility is to lead, to serve, and to continue the work of moving Alton forward. However, when misinformation creates genuine concern among the people I serve, I will make sure they have the facts.”
Mayor Goins concluded:
“My commitment to the City of Alton has not wavered. It did not disappear because I took properly scheduled personal time, and it will not be defined by a headline or a false narrative. The work continued while I was away, and the work continues today. My focus remains exactly where it belongs — on the people and the future of the City of Alton.”
