COMMENTARY
By Brad Sutton
NOTICE VOTERS! If Alexander is to survive as a viable entity in the
state of Arkansas, we MUST get out of the cross hairs of those who are intent
on the alternative.
The pending court actions are horrendous as well as numerous! They come from the Johnson administration, including her appointments, and the current administration. They all like to blame the Mitchell administration, which means they refuse to accept responsibility for their actions.
The latest, reported in the paper this past week, stands to completely deplete the city and even affect state coffers if it is won by the litigators.
Maybe it is time to do some comparisons, and consider the direction we are headed.
The pending court actions are horrendous as well as numerous! They come from the Johnson administration, including her appointments, and the current administration. They all like to blame the Mitchell administration, which means they refuse to accept responsibility for their actions.
The latest, reported in the paper this past week, stands to completely deplete the city and even affect state coffers if it is won by the litigators.
Maybe it is time to do some comparisons, and consider the direction we are headed.
Brad,
ReplyDeleteSeems like you are on top of the financial problems with Alexander.
I think the best thing to happen would be for the State to come in and try to
take over the Financials. Relieve the Mayor, Council, Bookkeepier of their ability to handle funds. The "so called" City Attorney has got our City in financial RUIN.
I was at Arvest Bank last week and some of the Council was trying to get some financial info. One Lady Council Member was very vocal about the situation. It is my understanding that all the accounts are in the "RED".
Glad I don't run my household and Business with this kind of spending!!!
Don't know who to contact to start the "State Takeover" but I am willing to contact someone or some State Agency. Seems like the City Hall check signers do not "SHOW INTENT" to spend monies they don't have. The City could file BANKRUPTCY. If Chicago, a Black run town can do it a little town like Alexander could do it. Let Little Rock take over.
Bill
Bill, that is kind of 'over-kill.' There doesn't seem to be money missing, nor does there seem to be hanky-panky, much less criminal intent. Money just doesn’t seem to be where it ought to be across the board. However, there does seem to be rampant inept-ness.. I say that respectfully, based on "The Peter Principle." (Each person rises to the level of his own incompetence, and we all have that level somewhere.)
ReplyDeleteThe city council is working diligently to address the issues and is doing what appears to me as an outstanding job. Keep an eye on the Alexandrian as these things can be revealed, they will be.
Meantime, I can't agree more that there needs to be some serious consideration to replacements. Elections are coming up, look around and be encouraged, Some of the Council plans are pretty good looking and the election is brining promise of a better tomorrow.
I for one, would love to see Paul Mitchell run again. Can you imagine him as mayor with a council and staff he could work with! A good friend of mine worked with him over an extended period, and claims positive things.
Your plan above is 'giving up.' It is OUR TOWN - no one cares for it like we do. Don't give up on it - STAND UP FOR IT.
Brad-s2 you must have the 1 who started this site on speed dial? I envy you, you get your own page to make a commentary. how can I be so honored to give my own commentary. Your right elections are coming up citizens need to remember the ones that are helping the city and the one that isn't doing their part and the one that got the city in a lawsuit. As far as Paul Mitchell rerunning again, we tried that once and if people are smart they wouldn't like to see a repeat of 2011 and 2012. Speaking of ole PM either jail or divorce has cured him cause you never hear about PM anymore. Besides there has got to be someone else to lead this city besides controller Hobbs and the unwelcomed return of PM. Brad-s2 I will join your bandwagon and agree 100% this council from what I see is working wonderfully together. Also 1 last comment it seems to me and others I hear that since last October the Alexandrian hasn't been keep up to date like it had been before. I guess the one that controls this thing is now in a position of not having to inform anymore they already know what is really going on!!!
ReplyDeleteJust what exactly happened in 2011 - 2012 that is so distasteful to you?
ReplyDeletebrad-s2,
ReplyDeleteI did not say anything about "CRIMINAL INTENT" in my post just intent to do wrong. Seems like these days all Politicians are leaning on this word to clear themselves of any "WRONG DOING". When decisions of wrong doing are published nothing is done because there was "NO INTENT" to do wrong. I am not saying there was any money missing just spent wrong by all the past and present Mayors of Alexander. Just look at all the audits published on the internet for the past years for Alexander.
As for the X-Mayor Mitchell we certainly don't need him back. Seems like Juanita has founf someone to speak for her on the Council. Andrea needs to watch out or she is going to get caught up in the "BRING BACK X-MAYOR MITCHELL" agenda that Juanita and JoAnn are still working on. I guess Juanita has Andrea as a mouth piece since she was threatened with lawsuits for the X-Mayor Johnson. Seems looking at the audits that X-Mayor Mitchell and X-Treasurer JoAnn spent money illegially. The Citizens of Alexander passed the 2% sales tax for certain Depts. only. Seems to me that the City Hall officials spent the money any way they pleased.
Even before Juanita was on Council she spent everyday with JoANN telling her what and when to pay bills with X-Mayor Mitchell's approval to do what she wanted to do.
JoAnn needs to step up and say she also spent money illegially from the wrong accounts.
"Speaking of PM", he is still around. Juanita and JoAnn do not make a move or comment without olde PM advising them. "THEIR AGENDA CONTINUES"
Look out Andrea unless you want to get brougnt into their agenda.
What happened in 2011-2012? Just look at the audits!!!. Juanita and JoAnn were running City Hall.
I still stand on my opinion that some State Agency needs to step in and take over the Alexander City Hall until it's finances are straightened out.
The Mayor needs to visit the City and make someone inforce the Ordinances with regard to JUNK, JUNK VEHICLES, ABANDONED HOMES & BLDGS, BURNED OUT STRUCTURES & ETC. There are Ordinances on the books to support her efforts. MAYOR JUST DO SOMETHING!!!!!
Bill
My, my, my - what a railing indictment. You sound for the world like Faye at the special meeting this week.
DeleteYou give Ms Juanita a lot of credit. If she had the skills to do bookkeeping, I would never have been there. Frankly, she doesn't need those skills, she has other things to tend to and does a dynamite job doing it. At this special meeting this week, I didn't see anyone, Andrea, Juanita or the acting mayor, Brad speaking for anyone - no one could get a word in because motor-mouth dominated the floor.
I have a download of all records done while I was there, and stand firm on it. As far as the money on the audit, they have to report statistics. I asked MANY times about the distribution of the tax that was divided between fire, police and parks, and got blank states. I found out about the distribution being an initiative in a private meeting with Jimmy Garrett (Arkansas Legislative Audit) last fall. He also described the initiative differently than our local "authority" described it this week. Guess he doesn't have the legal expertise Faye has.
Regardless, the council - LAST YEAR- voted to use the money when I requested it. That is what we did. It was a joint effort, if they knew we couldn't do it, they would/should have said so. I don't believe they did know it, and I know I didn't. It is past, and
whether I talk to Paul or not is none of your business.
Seems to me if the city in the past; namely the recorder had filed minutes, ordinances and resolutions in a proper manner, we would have had all that information at hand. When I was there, I found a few, scattered about, I put them in a binder, there were NO minutes, and no resolutions but there were a few ordinances, there was a copy of an intended ordinance, - I say intended - it turned out not to be one, and was unsigned, but it was for a one cent tax with no designation, it was a couple of years after the one cent for the fire department. Obviously it was replaced with the one designating the percentages to the various departments, but it was never filed in the office, at least not when I was there.
There does need to be something done about the junk, etc you've listed above, but with the lawsuits we are facing, the conditions mentioned above, we just have to take it as Brad S says "one step at a time." Some wise person (I can't remember who) said "don't let the urgent get in the way of the important." I guess I would add to that ‘also don’t get em mixed up.’ – JoAn Churchill
JoAnn,
DeleteYou use the word "INDICTMENT" . Maybe you are on to something there. It is a shame that City officials cannot be "INDICTED" for illegial spending. They can only be hit with an ETHICS COMPLAINT. Maybe the reason you think Ms. McKeon is a"LOUDMOUTH" is she is telling the TRUTH and the TRUTH HURTS. Keep telling yourself and others that "I did not know how the TAX MONEY SHOULD BE DIVIDED" and maybe you will soon convince yourself and others. Some of us "KNOW THE TRUTH!!! You would be first on my "ETHICS COMPLAINT".Glad you resigned from being City Treasurer. If Juanita knows nothing about bookkeeping then why did she accept the position that X-Mayor PM gave her on the City Financial Board. She wasn't even on the Council at that time.
Maybe if some people in City Hall had of not left with all the records
(RESOLUTIONS, MINUTES and RECORDS) The Council could see them in hole not just a few insiders that are joining in with Juanita's agenda. Seems like you say you have all these documents in your posession. If you are working for the City seems like you would share them with all Council Members or take them back to the City.
You say"don't let the urgent get in the way of the IMPORTANT", I think the clean up is urgent because the property values in the City are going down because of the "JUNK". This will cost the City on " REAL ESTATE TAX INCOME". The City needs all the revenue it gets even if it is spent
illegially. There should not be any "LAWSUITS" over the clean up. The Ordinances are legal. Just need to be INFORCED!!! Get the violaters in our Court and let the Judge decide. The Ordinances spell out how they are inforced. Seems our Judge is aware of the City"s problem with JUNK and ETC. Could even be an income source for the City while it is being cleaned up.
Bill
Bill: I am not at home, so will use Louella's computer. You posted this at 10:54 AM That is really early to be that far out on whatever you're on. Your ranting and raving makes no sense whatsoever. When you sober up or 'come down' read it again and you'll see what I mean. Your first blog (above) made some sense, but this one; there is no response for it. It is simply mindless rambling.
DeleteGet some rest, fella - catcha later - JoAn Churchill
Hey Bill sounds like you have a grudge against Juanita. She sure is getting under your skin, or so it would seem. So she must be doing something right after all. if what she does shakes up the administration, as much as it does you, shes doing a good job.
DeleteRe reading what JoAn said above is a concern in that WHERE are all the old records. Council minutes, ordinances, resolutions, etc. Somebody has them. These are official city documents and should be kept in city hall. I know for a fact very few are there.
ReplyDelete