"In order to preserve the equity of the voter's trust, it is in the best interest of the city that Council Meetings be tabled for the time being until the power struggle is resolved," said Alderman Juanita Wilson.
Wilson cites six examples where she claims the mayor has exceeded her authority and has stated she will not work with council members who do not rubber stamp her requests.
- Spending, hiring and wage increases are issued without the proper council approval in violation of a spending freeze voted into place April 19, 2012 and is still active.
- Council cannot receive mandated financial reports, and has no idea the financial state of the city.
- Council is required by state law to manage all financial and all real and personal property belonging to the city. The Mayor not only refuses to allow us access to the information, she refuses to supply information when Council goes a step beyond state law and invokes the Freedom of Information Act.
- The Mayor has already shown she refuses to work with all council members when she vowed at the January meeting to veto anything four (now 3) of the aldermen who ask questions regarding her policies, or try to introduce policy or seat citizens who qualify to vacant council seats, per state law, UNLESS they are of her choosing only.
- While Municipal League attorneys endorse everything the Mayor decides to do, even to hiring an ex-employee, after they (the Municipal League) warned her not to do so.
- Ordinance regarding the hiring of a City Attorney asked for in February has never been provided, nor was the hiring of the current attorney approved by Council.
Wilson added, "Having a quorum at future meetings under these circumstances is not in the best interest of our constituents and what they have entrusted us to do."
Wilson is asking for help from the state.
"It is with the strongest urgency that Alexander City Council, currently split, seeks the assistance of the State of Arkansas in resolving these issues," she said.
good for them!!! they need to find out whos doing what up there. folks I know are sick of the junk . Hope they get some answers from the state!!
ReplyDeleteLooks like city council needs an attorney. they obviously don't have one.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWhy don't you just shut the hell up. You have no idea about anything that happens in the city. Lets start with the 1st spending freeze. Explain??? All that's happening is bills that your cohorts Joan and Paul refused to pay. So there's your spending freeze. Hiring under spending freeze. Replacement of Joan, so were is the hiring under spending freeze. Given large pay raises to police. Have you seen the police pay? Are you at paychex when the officers are paid??? More hiring in the police department, Murray, and Cummings resigned 2 new officers hired. Dislikes fire department, fire, police and street all chipped in and have helped a lot lately. Pay increase for fireman, Chief Ridgeway wanted ALL firemen to get pay increase, how is that fair to fireman that have been there for years if a fireman who is 6 months on the job gets a raise too??? Alter time sheets, again are you there when time sheets are added up??? Refuses to give financial disclosures, if your bunch showed up they would get them. But they don't. Withhold payments due when not necessary, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN??? Makes claims in council that are not true, how do you know, your bunch doesn't show up. Allows council to sit on seat for months, which council and if time during her recorder period, remember the recorder has no voice so what is she suppose to do. You Louella/Juanita are nothing but a crap stirrer who's only ambition is to make this city crumble. Tell your bunch to do your job and show up, or resign. You are a waste of time to tax payers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DeleteOld P.B., as an old man, I have worked a long time, and a lot of places - I've never seen anything like this place. I can tell you aren't an alderman either, because you have no idea what is going on. But hang in there old buddy, it is all going to come out. It'll really burn then.
DeleteP/B you need to check your facts and then put your brain in gear before you activate your keyboard ( mouth) go read some newspaper articles and see what is the truth!!
DeleteI thought you weren't coming back.
ReplyDeleteI deleted my comment because, while every word is true, it is going nowhere. It is useless here, and better used elsewhere. (and will be,)
By the way, my given name is not Juanita. I would hope to live up to her quality, but I'm not her.
Louella,
DeleteThe above wasn't me. I said I wasn't comming back but the comments above urged me to add to them.
Like I read before "PETER BURNS LOUELLA".
How come you have not said anything about the last City Council meeting? Looks like we have a new Council person who is qualified and is willing to WORK!! for the City's future. Not try to tear it down. Also, the City has a good qualified recorder now after this month's meeting Council meeting.
As for Juanita's "QUALITY" that you would like to live up to,
QUALITY WHALE MANURE IS IN THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN!!! A person would have to "LIVE DOWN" to be like her. All the above is just my opinion.
By the way is it just a coincidence that Juanita's given name is LOU JUANITA??
As for reading the "TRUTH" in mews papers, Is GET-IT DUMB
saying that everything a reporter writes is true and correct?
He needs to get his head (nose) out of other peoples rear end and find out the truth about what is going on in the City.
He could start by attending Council Meetings to help bring the City forward.
Bill
You may want to read this article Bill. See link. And, there's more coming. The meeting should have never started because it still takes a quorum of five for an eight member council no matter how many seats are vacant. The anointed one doesn't know as much as she thinks. If she does think.
Deletehttp://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2013/jun/19/councils-actions-monday-not-legal-league--20130619/?f=news-arkansas
Alex N Der,
ReplyDeleteYou need to read the article again and "DIGEST IT" not just the heading.
The meeting was legal per the Municipal League!! The illegial things that were done were passing the 2 resolutions about the General Dollar Store location and the combining of the Bank accounts. The Mayor forgot to cast her affirimative votes. The actual vote was 4 for and 4 against
and was a tie. You have to count all seats on a Council for passage of resolutions. The Mayor can be used to make a quorum for the meeting. Since Mr. Shoemaker moved out of his Ward he created his Vacancy. By law the Mayor created a Quorum of 4 because there were only, at that time, 6 seats. Tne total seats are only counted on Ordinances and Resolutions or other City business except Council Seat appointments. On all the other City business 8 seats had to be counted.The 4 absent seats were NO and the 4 present were YES creating the tie. The Mayor did not cast the tie breaking vote as per the article and the Municipal League. You need to check your sources and make sure you know the entire story.
Bill
FUNNY, it is legal when it suits you, it wasn't legal in January. But no surprise, you all twist things to suit you, then scream legalities when it doesn't.
DeleteI would hate to think the Municipal League 'kisses-up' like the mayor would have us believe they do. I believe they have more integrity than that.
Jack's seat was never declared vacant, how can you fill it? It is just a matter of time, the fun part comes next, just sit back and watch - I'll remind you when it happens.
As far as quality is concerned, I know it when I see it - that is why I worry so much about your little town, there is no quality there except for a few elected officials that the rats want to run out, some voters who care, and some citizens who are really fed up.
Where I live and work, I am amazed at the opinion of the general public over the garbage coming out of Alexander. Without exception, they consider Alexander the laughing stock of the state. They also consider it has gone on for many years, not just the last few!
I'm not kidding, I work with public, and hear it every day.
You people whine about not getting together to work things out, sounds like the city attorney has become lead soprano now, what happened to all the working day meetings that were offered in the Organization of City Council you people couldn't quite wrap your little brain around? "The four original publically selected" made the offer, they didn't run from it, they've always been open to it.
For the record "LOUELLA" is not Juanita. Take it or leave it, I don't care. Coincidence that there is a 'Lou" in Louella, deal with it. I know you wouldn't recognize her quality, you wouldn't recognize ANY quality.
DeleteNo Bill, you need to check the law. Section B of the law being used to fill the vacancy says a "Quorum of the whole" is required. The "whole" is 8. A quorum is 5. There was no quorum, so there was no meeting. What I'm saying is the article missed that point. A legal meeting was not held. You have to learn, in this town the female mayors only remember the laws they like and forget the ones that go against them. Sort of like the 10 Commandments and the Bill of Rights.
DeleteGreat shot Alex. U R on target!!!
DeleteJust for you, alone - another "for the record" - I neglected to tell you before, but here is just a hint regarding Louella, she is black. (can't be Juanita) One of her favorite role models is Myrlie Evers Williams.
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