Former mayor Stephen Daily escorted from building after council president calls for police
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Kokomo has a new trash fee. Despite strong opposition from residents over the past year, the Kokomo Common Council voted 7-1 to enact the fee at its Sept. 29 meeting. But it didn’t happen without the police getting involved.
The council, now well-known for its desire to minimize its time in session, convened on the issue of the trash fee, as well as public hearing on the city’s 2026 budget and four ordinances forwarded from the city planning commission. The entire agenda was covered in less than 30 minutes.
The brevity quickly became the issue as council president Ray Collins refused to allow comment on the trash fee and gaveled down any attempt from those in attendance to engage the council on the matter.
Councilman Tom Miklik read the ordinance into the record, detailing the city’s intent to levy a $10 monthly trash collection fee on residents, allowing discounts to the elderly, infirm, and those facing poverty, and assessing an additional $5 fee in 2028. Collins then took control of the meeting.
“We had public comment for this ordinance in our last meeting (Sept. 8),” said Collins. “I’m sure everybody on the council has received various emails, phone calls, and texts concerning people’s opposition. All that’s being taken into consideration.
“I went back and talked with various people about the different ideas that (they) pitched about this ordinance. So, at this time, I’m going to start with the council members, if they want to make any comment, before we call for the vote.”
Council member Crystal Sanburn apologized to the community for her vote in favor of the fee.
“We’ve all done our due diligence to really try to figure out how we do this,” said Sanburn. “This is the best thing to do, and I’m so sorry it’s not going to go everybody’s way. I’m just really sorry about it.”
Miklik had no intention of giving an apology.
“We work really hard to manage resources of this city, and as such, we are doing the very best job possible,” said Miklik. “I am not sorry, because this is what it’s going to take to provide you all the services that you’ve come to expect. This year is tough. Next year will be harder, and the year after will be harder yet.”
Collins then called for the vote, but he was interrupted by the crowd, which was angered by his refusal to allow public comment. The interruption was led by former Mayor Stephen Daily, who called for the council to let the people speak. Collins wasn’t having it.
“There is a state statute that says, when it comes to these meetings, people do have the right to come and record them and be here, but they do not have the right to speak unless we allow that,” said Collins.
Daily, clearly angered by this response, asked to be shown the statute following the meeting. The vote was taken, and the measure was passed, with only Councilman Bob Stephenson (D-2nd) voting against the fee.
Collins closed the meeting, and that’s when things fell apart. Daily approached the council table to be shown the statute in question. Within moments, voices raised, and Collins summoned Kokomo Police officers to remove Daily, age 78, from the building.
Council attorney Corbin King rushed around the council table to Daily’s side, gently ushering him out of the building before the officers could follow out Collins’ order. But the dark mood of the room persisted. Following the altercation, Collins attempted to defend his action against the former mayor.
“He was tired of my attitude or something,” said Collins. “I think he didn’t like that they weren’t able to speak. I was trying to show him the state statute that says people can come to the meeting and they can record, but they do not have the right to talk.
“He was upset about me saying it was my meeting, but it is my meeting to keep order. I ask people who come to be respectful. I can’t help the way people perceive me. Everybody doesn’t like what you say or how you say it. I can’t help that. But to come up and yell and start calling people whatever, I don’t know how right that is.”
Collins claimed he called the officers because Daily pointed his finger at him.
“Yelling, pointing his finger, calling me an ass, and doing whatever; that’s what they’re here for, to keep order,” said Collins.
Daily had a different perspective on the incident. After being escorted from the building that literally bears his name, the former mayor showed no remorse for standing up to Collins.
“They showed me some state legislation that proves what Ray Collins said is correct, that they don’t have to let us speak,” said Daily. “That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t or couldn’t let us speak. I was offended by that.
“When I was involved in government many years ago, we had three readings of every ordinance, and every time it was read, people in the audience were invited to make comments. It’s just very offensive to say, ‘We’ve heard it all. They haven’t heard it all. I think it’s important for them to understand that.”
Daily detailed what he intended to say to the council, though the opportunity to speak was never given.
“All I wanted to say to them today was, they were implying that the people of Kokomo have not been paying for their trash collection,” said Daily. “And all they’re asking is a measly $15 a month from these ‘freeloaders,’ you know?
“The fact of the matter is, the City of Kokomo incorporates trash collection in their tax bill. People pay a lot of money for their trash collection. I know that for a fact, because I even made the promise as mayor 40 years ago that when you get annexed into the city of Kokomo, you get trash collection. The cost is already incorporated in your tax base. Sometimes we had entire neighborhoods agree to annexation because of that promise.
“And now, all of a sudden, they’ve started with this $10 fee next year and $5 the next year. The slippery slope is taking over.”
Daily was asked to account for the altercation that followed the meeting and whether the former mayor had pointed his finger at Collins or called him names, resulting in the police being called.
“Well, I am a rather physically threatening person at five foot nothing and 190 pounds,” said Daily. “I think Mr. Collins is very deeply in love with the power that he has behind that seat, and it was just a nice way to show that he had that kind of power, to snap his fingers and the police come running.”
There were other items on the council’s streamlined agenda. They held a public hearing on the 2026 budget, during which more time was spent calling roll than allowing for public comment. Seeing no one stand up to approach the microphone, council president Ray Collins closed the hearing after less than 10 seconds and called for the start of the council’s regular meeting.
The time for public comment at the beginning of that session, however, did feature a disgruntled citizen seeking to air a grievance. Resident Richard Emry addressed the council to criticize the milling and paving work taking place on Bradford Avenue in the Maple Crest subdivision.
Emry claimed that no notice was given to neighborhood residents about the work. Instead, he received a visit at 7:30 a.m. from a man in an unmarked vehicle and wearing nothing to identify himself as a city employee, demanding that Emry move his car from the street so that work could begin.
The resident was further incensed by the outcome of the work performed on Sept. 26. After removing the existing surface, city crews left the street in that condition.
“There was a three- to four-inch gap between the end of my driveway and the street,” said Emry. I had taken my vehicles (Chevrolet Corvettes) and made sure that they were all up in my driveway. Now I can’t get out of the driveway.”
Emry claimed it took three calls to the street department office to reach a supervisor, who agreed to install a temporary ramp until repaving could be completed.
After Emry was finished with his complaint, Collins referred him to Mayor Tyler Moore, who was in the room, to seek redress.
Turning to the council’s agenda, the board pushed through four separate rezoning ordinances on single readings, suspending its rules to speed up the process, before handling the trash fee ordinance.
The Kokomo Common Council next meets on Mon., Oct. 20, at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at City Hall.