Katy might have started looking before the election, but after the tax referendum and TIF votes. THe RCA's campaign against those initiatives had the same negative, short sighted tone that their election campaign did. It was clear from the referendum results that money was going to be scarce. Perhaps Katy felt she had done all that she could to make needed capital improvements in Riverside and to invest in its future. The election campaign only confirmed that she made the right decision to look for other opportunities.
It's nice that even RCA supporters acknowledge that she was "able". The RCA made her an issue in the campaign and that was shameful. As the Landmark wrote at the time, no one should have been surprised that she did not stick around for the "pinata portion of the festivities". Spatney, why can't you acknowledge that the RCA drove her out, and Riverside paid the severance because of it? In fact, if you wondered why village managers negotiate severance provisions for departures around elections, Katy's treatment during the campaign should provide the answer.