I have been sitting with this for days, trying to understand how leadership in Concord has become so consumed by personal conflict. At the same time, ordinary residents continue struggling under rising costs, growing frustration and a government that feels more disconnected every year.
Leadership is not about feelings. It is not about ego. It is not about silencing people you disagree with. And it is certainly not about using power to isolate or punish elected officials simply because they challenge the system.
Leadership is supposed to require maturity. Courage. Accountability. The ability to put the people first, even when criticism feels uncomfortable.
What we are witnessing right now in Concord is not leadership. It is political insecurity.
The decision by Mayor Byron Champlin to block Councilor Stacey Brown from participating in the city manager’s evaluation should concern every resident in this city, regardless of political affiliation or personal opinion about Brown herself. People may agree with her or disagree with her, but one thing nobody can honestly deny is that she has consistently asked hard questions that many others at City Hall seem unwilling to ask.
Questions about taxes. Questions about spending. Questions about accountability. Questions about transparency.
And instead of answering those questions openly, what have we watched happen over time? Committee assignments removed. Restrictions placed on her communication. Constant tension. Constant targeting. And now suddenly, after years of participating in evaluations, she is told she has a “conflict of interest.”
The timing alone makes this impossible to ignore.
Even councilors interviewed in the Concord Monitor acknowledged the obvious tension and ongoing animosity. Some openly admitted that this entire situation looks political. Because honestly, what resident reading this can genuinely believe this is only about ethics?
This looks personal. And that is exactly the problem.
While Concord residents are trying to survive rising taxes, increasing fees, housing pressures, and economic uncertainty, city leadership somehow continues finding endless energy for internal political battles.
Where is that same energy when it comes to building a stronger future for Concord? Where is the vision? Where is the powerful, smart leadership? Where is the investment in culture, diversity and community trust? Where is the effort to truly make all residents feel seen and represented in this city?
Concord has changed over the years, but too often it feels like leadership has remained small, closed off and reactive instead of visionary. Families are struggling financially. Young people are leaving because they do not see opportunity here. Many immigrant families and communities of color still do not feel meaningfully reflected in city leadership or city priorities.
And yet somehow there is always time for political retaliation. Enough time to sideline people. Enough time to control who gets heard. Enough time to protect feelings and personal relationships inside City Hall. But not enough urgency to transform the city in ways residents can actually feel in their daily lives.
That is what frustrates people.
True leaders do not fear criticism. They welcome it because they understand accountability strengthens public trust. Weak leadership, on the other hand, becomes defensive. It becomes personal. It spends more energy controlling dissent than solving problems.
What makes this situation even worse is the lack of transparency surrounding the city manager’s evaluation itself. Residents are expected to simply trust a closed process involving one of the highest-paid public officials in the state while being denied even the basic understanding of how performance is measured.
That should concern everyone.
A city manager making roughly a quarter of a million dollars a year absolutely should face structured and transparent accountability. Taxpayers deserve that. Public trust requires that.
Instead, the public is shut out while attention is focused on excluding one councilor from participating.
That is not good government. And honestly, it reflects poorly on the entire city.
Leadership is not protecting egos while residents struggle. Leadership is not using procedure as a weapon. Leadership is not punishing people for asking uncomfortable questions. Leadership is about building trust, welcoming accountability, listening to criticism and putting the public above personal feelings.
Concord deserves leadership mature enough to handle disagreement without turning City Hall into a place driven by grudges and political isolation.
The people of this city deserve leaders focused on solving problems, building community and creating a future people can actually believe in.
Right now, too many residents are losing that belief.
Fisto Ndayishimiye is a refugee, community organizer and youth leader based in Concord. He is the co-founder and executive director of the Young Adults Development Network, founder and director of Importance Leadership, and founder of One Concord.