WHAT YOU’RE ABOUT TO READ
"PUBLIC OFFICIALS BEHAVING BADLY" is Richard Odoms’ account of his experiences as a longtime Hamburg resident, a former elected member of the Hamburg City Council, and a citizen who became increasingly concerned about the manner in which his local government was being operated.
This is not a work of fiction.
The book contains nearly 300 pages of narrative, correspondence, public records, official documents, transcripts and other supporting material accumulated over a period of years.
Rather than simply asking readers to accept the author’s conclusions, "PUBLIC OFFICIALS BEHAVING BADLY" provides much of the underlying documentation so readers can examine the information themselves and reach their own conclusions.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
SERGEANT RICHARD “DELTA DICK” ODOMS is a retired Police Officer and Hennepin County Deputy Sheriff whose Law Enforcement career spanned nearly 31 years.
During his career with the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office — Minnesota’s largest Sheriff’s Office — he attained the rank of Sergeant in two separate divisions.
Odoms later served a full four-year elected term as a member
of the Hamburg City Council from 2013 through 2017.
His experience inside municipal government provided him with
a perspective very different from that of an ordinary observer. During and after his HAMBURG CITY COUNCIL service (2013-2017), he became increasingly concerned about what he regarded as failures involving transparency, accountability, governmental decision-making and the expenditure of
taxpayer dollars.
Those experiences ultimately became the foundation for "PUBLIC OFFICIALS BEHAVING BADLY."
WHY THIS BOOK WAS WRITTEN &
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT
Over a period of years, Odoms collected correspondence, public records, government documents and other materials concerning actions and decisions involving Hamburg City Officials and other public officials.
In the book, he describes conduct that he believes demonstrates instances of dishonesty, deceit, misconduct, wasteful spending, lack of accountability and, in some circumstances, corruption.
The documents reproduced or discussed throughout the book allow readers to examine the underlying record rather than relying solely upon the author’s characterization of what occurred.
Odoms also became increasingly concerned that, in a community as small as Hamburg, meaningful citizen oversight of municipal government was extremely limited and that questionable actions could continue for years without serious public scrutiny.
Rather than merely continuing to criticize the operation of City government from the outside, in July 2026 Richard Odoms filed as a candidate for Mayor of Hamburg, Minnesota, seeking the four-year mayoral term beginning January 1, 2027.
His candidacy represents what he considers the logical continuation of the principles discussed throughout this book:
RESPONSIVE LOCAL GOVERNMENT
TRANSPARENCY - ACCOUNTABILITY
FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY
ABOUT THIS DIGITAL EDITION
This Internet PDF edition of "PUBLIC OFFICIALS BEHAVING BADLY" has been prepared for public release beginning Monday, October 5, 2026.
Several introductory pages have been created specifically for the Digital Edition to provide readers with background information and help explain the purpose and organization of the publication.
The original book itself begins with its original book cover immediately following the Digital Edition introductory pages.
The substance of the original publication, including its documentary material and historical record, has been preserved. Minor corrections, image improvements and formatting adjustments may have been made where appropriate to improve accuracy, readability and electronic navigation.
A WORD TO THE READER
The author does not expect every reader to agree with every opinion or conclusion expressed in this book.
What he does ask is that readers look at the documentation, consider the circumstances described, and make their own informed judgments.
Public officials exercise authority that belongs ultimately to the people they serve.
With that authority comes an obligation to conduct government openly, responsibly and honestly — and with an understanding that the public has both the right to ask questions and the right to expect answers.
That principle is at the heart of "PUBLIC OFFICIALS BEHAVING BADLY."
READER COMMENTS & CORRECTIONS
Thoughtful reader comments and notices of factual or typographical corrections are welcome.
Email: [email protected]
The purpose of this email address is to receive reader comments and corrections concerning the publication. It is not intended to serve as a forum for prolonged debates concerning the author's opinions or conclusions.
RICHARD “DELTA DICK” ODOMS
Hamburg, Minnesota 55339
COPYRIGHT & PUBLICATION NOTICE
Copyright © 2026 Richard Odoms. All Rights Reserved.
This electronic edition is being made available FREE OF CHARGE for personal reading, review and informational purposes.
No portion of this publication may be altered or represented as the author's original work after modification. Nothing contained in this publication should be construed as preventing lawful quotation, commentary, criticism, news reporting or other uses permitted by applicable copyright law.
FREE PDF DOWNLOAD
"PUBLIC OFFICIALS BEHAVING BADLY"
AVAILABLE BEGINNING
MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2026
There is NO CHARGE to download
or read the complete PDF edition.
FREE PDF — CONTROLLED DISTRIBUTION
The complete PDF edition of "PUBLIC OFFICIALS BEHAVING BADLY" is being provided FREE OF CHARGE through a controlled distribution process. This allows the author to maintain an accurate record of the number, date and general geographic origin of requests and helps ensure that download requests can be fulfilled promptly.
To request your copy, please send your E-MAIL ADDRESS, NAME, CITY, STATE, VIA E-MAIL to:
A return e-mail containing access to the PDF will normally be sent the same day.
Information submitted with your request will be used only for fulfillment and basic distribution records and will NOT be sold or
distributed to others.
PLEASE NOTE:
CONTRARY TO WHAT MAY APPEAR ON SOME OF MY WEBPAGES,
THERE IS NO CHARGE WHAT-SO-EVER FOR DOWNLOADING THE PDF
VERSION OF MY BOOK,
"PUBLIC OFFICIALS BEHAVING BADLY"
If you encounter such an announcement posted on ANY Webpage, PLEASE SEND THE URL OF THE WEBPAGE WHERE THE ANNOUNCEMENT APPEARS, to [email protected].com so that I may remove it from the affected Webpage. THANKS !!
PLEASE NOTE:
CONTRARY TO WHAT MAY APPEAR ON SOME OF MY WEBPAGES,
THERE IS NO CHARGE WHAT-SO-EVER FOR DOWNLOADING THE PDF
VERSION OF MY BOOK,
"PUBLIC OFFICIALS BEHAVING BADLY"
If you encounter such an announcement posted on ANY Webpage, PLEASE SEND THE URL OF THE WEBPAGE WHERE THE ANNOUNCEMENT APPEARS, to [email protected].com so that I may remove it from the affected Webpage. THANKS !!
