In Parks and Recreation, Ben Wyatt is revealed to have once been the mayor of his hometown of Partridge, Minnesota, but he was fired from the position for a good reason. When Ben first entered the show in season 2 as an Indiana State auditor, he was called to look at Pawnee’s budget problem in order to save the city from collapsing financially. The Deputy of the Pawnee Parks and Recreation Department, Leslie Knope, didn’t appreciate Ben’s drastic suggestions and dug into his past to hurt him. It was then that she found out his secret.
When Ben was just 18 years old, he was chosen to be the Mayor of Partridge. This became national news because of how young Ben was at the time. Unfortunately for him, he was impeached almost as quickly as he was elected, for some outlandish decisions, and it became one of Ben Wyatt’s biggest career mistakes.
Ben Wyatt Bankrupted The Town
After being chosen to be Mayor of Partridge at such a young age, Ben put his efforts into a winter complex called Ice Town. Not much is known about the ins and outs of Ice Town because Ben was always embarrassed when it was brought up. However, it was extensive enough to completely bankrupt the town. Two months after being elected to lead Partridge, Ben was impeached and banned from the city.
Years later in Parks and Recreation season 5, episode 17, “Partridge,” Ben was invited back to accept a key to the city since it was tradition. Unfortunately for him, there was no key, and it was all a ruse. No one knows the real reason why Ben created Ice Town, but he used his adult years to change the public’s perception of him.
Ben's Impact On Pawnee As A former Politician
After being impeached and banned from his own city, Ben Wyatt went to college and became an auditor as a way to prove to people that he was responsible with money and could have a successful role in government. Leslie Knope was unsure of Ben at first because he thought it was best to shut down Pawnee’s government until they had a better handle on the town’s budget, but her opinion of him changed the more she got to know him. Ben wasn’t that immature 18-year-old who created Ice Town anymore. Leslie thought she could save Pawnee, but she couldn’t do it without Ben.
Ben may have been fired from being the mayor of Partridge, but he turned around and did great things for Pawnee. He got the town out of bankruptcy, his campaign skills got Leslie a spot on the city council, he gave ing advice to local businesses, and he improved Sweetums Candy’s public image. Ben’s business and government skills were underrated on Parks and Recreation. And while he bankrupted a town when he was 18 and was fired for it, he made a total transformation once he got to Pawnee.