The number of lawsuits filed in the wake of the recent fiasco involving the City of Gerald and its victimization at the hands of a fake federal agent is now at 17 and climbing. The suits already filed seek millions of dollars in damages for individuals whose homes were invaded and property seized without benefit of search warrants and perhaps even probable cause, by Gerald police acting in concert with the fake federal agent.

It is, given the circumstances of the situation, possible that plaintiffs in the lawsuit may be awarded a great deal of money, perhaps considerably more than the limits of the city’s liability insurance policy. If that should happen where, then, will the money to pay the judgments against the city, Mayor Schulte, aldermen and Gerald police officers, including the ousted chief, come from?

Mayor Schulte needs to be thinking about that, not ways to absolve himself of any blame in the fiasco. The future of the City of Gerald, which Mayor Schulte is responsible for as its top elected official, is at stake here.

It’s time for a reality check, Mr. Mayor.