The pattern The city fired Wade for personal conduct.
Steve Wade, Braxton Copley and Hotel Topeka
A sourced timeline from Wade's hiring to Copley's retirement. The city manager who pitched the hotel was fired for cause, while the deputy who ran the $18.35 million project retires with praise.
The pattern
The city fired Wade for personal conduct but has held no one accountable for a hotel that cost $18.35 million and sold for $1 million in cash.
2022 to 2023: Wade and the purchase
Council hires Wade as city manager, 10-0
A 3-year contract at $200,000 a year. He had been the city's finance director and was Capital-Journal publisher from 2018 to 2020.
Council votes 7-2 to bid on Hotel Topeka
After a 90-minute closed session, with an $8 million cap. Ortiz and Valdivia-Alcala voted no. Wade was the city's public voice for the bid.
Wade: 'very careful with taxpayer money'
He promised the city would stay at or below its threshold.
Wade goes on leave, approved 10-0
Richard Nienstedt became acting city manager.
City wins the auction at $7.6 million
The county had appraised the hotel at $3 million that year.
Wade fired for cause, 10-0 · Fired
After an outside investigation into an employee complaint. The report was never released. He was on approved medical leave at the time.
REVPAR International hired as consultant
Budget impact listed at $516,300. Braxton Copley, the deputy city manager, serves as the hotel's project manager.
Wade files a $100 million notice of claim
He alleged disability discrimination. The city then said publicly he was fired over an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate. Wade denies wrongdoing. He never sued, and nothing was paid.
2024 to 2026: Copley's project
Hotel's $500,000 set-aside largely gone
$7.6 million offer from Irshad Chatta
Submitted through BHHS First REALTORS with $1.5 million down. Talks were held in closed session, and the deal never closed. No public reason was ever given.
Council rejects 1717 Realty bid, 8-1
About $1.2 million spent covering operations
Endeavor offers $1 million plus incentives
The city had spent $12.2 million by then.
Total city spending reaches $18,350,135.96
Sale to Endeavor approved
$1 million cash, with $11.2 million to be recovered from taxes over 20 to 30 years. No published plan covers the roughly $6 million spent after mid-2025.
Copley announces retirement, effective Jan 4, 2027 · Retiring
City Manager Perez praised him publicly.
Perez resigns, effective immediately
The mayor called it a personnel transition, not wrongdoing. Copley briefly served as interim city manager.
What the record does not show
No published report ties Wade's firing to the hotel. His investigation report and any severance amount have never been released. The reason the $7.6 million offer failed is not public. Copley has faced no public discipline over the project.
Sources
Prepared by Henry McClure, (762) 291-2765
Comments