City of Alexander Mayor Michelle Hobbs tried to claim she vetoed a vote
taken by the city council in May accepting then City Attorney Carla Miller's
resignation "effective immediately." At the May 19 meeting Hobbs did say
she was vetoing the vote during the meeting but at the council's regular June
16 meeting Alderman Andrea Bearden asked her to produce the document required
to veto a council's vote. She couldn't.
Originally Miller submitted her resignation in April, "to become
effective no later than July 1, 2014." On May 27 Miller sent a revised
resignation letter by e-mail to Mayor Hobbs and city aldermen making it "effective
immediately" which changed the date of her resignation from July 1 to May
27. During that week she wrapped up some legal matters and has since billed the
city. Apparently Miller was under the impression the council's vote had been
vetoed.
During a testy back-and-forth between Hobbs and Bearden, at the June 16
meeting, Bearden told Hobbs since the Mayor did not follow state law to enforce
the veto that means "there is no veto" and Miller shouldn't be paid
for any work done after the council's May 19 vote accepting her resignation.
Under Arkansas law a mayor has five days to veto an "ordinance, resolution,
or order" passed by a city council. The veto must be in writing stating
the reason for the veto. It must also be signed and dated by the recorder, in a
city of the second-class, or city clerk. The council is then given the
opportunity to override the veto by a two-thirds vote at the next regular
meeting.
Hobbs eventually ended the discussion saying she would check with the
Arkansas Municipal League (AML). One of the AML attorneys, David Schoen, sat
silent in the audience during the veto discussion.
This is not Hobbs's first veto. In February, 2013 she enacted two
vetoes involving council appointments to fill a vacancy on the council and the
recorder's position. In January, 2014 she vetoed two votes by the council, one
a spending freeze and another that redistributed sales tax revenue. Both of the
January vetoes were overturned.
At a special meeting held Tuesday evening, June
24 Kevin M. Lemley was appointed as the new city attorney for the City of
Alexander. The appointment was approved in a five to three vote of the council.
I am not surprised by the inefficiency of the occupant of the mayor’s chair. I can’t call her ‘mayor’ if she doesn’t fit the description.
ReplyDeleteIf I’m not mistaken the reason for vetoing the Recorder who by-the-way came in second in the election, ( an unbiased council would have seated her by default when the incumbent recorder was appointed by the outgoing and bitter council as ‘mayor’ ) was because she found the name of the applicant in a directory shared by the bookkeeper/treasurer at that time (JoAn Churchill’s directory) listed as recorder; the office for which Mrs. Maynard was running along with her telephone number and address. It was the responsibility of the bookkeeper/Treasurer to keep copies of all elected officials, and to monitor their compliance in filing those copies in City Hall.
Mrs. Maynard is a Paralegal, would have made a great Recorder, but ‘mayor’ preferred getting the Johnson Administration people reseated one way or another.
While I appreciate the right of an incoming official to have her own staff, the voice of the people of Alexander was ignored again by mayor and council.
City Council must find a way to protect the vote of the people. That they were ‘shanghaied’ this way is a shame. Maybe an ordinance to require appointments to be tabled after an election if over a specified percentage of city officials have been replaced until the new officials are seated. Bitter out-going ‘lame ducks’ can cripple a city government, as we have seen. The vote of the people must be primary.
I am also not surprised the AML attorney sat quietly during the discussion. AML bends over backward to try to justify the antics of the mayor; which at this point must be as embarrassing as it is difficult.
You are right on both references above, Brad. All the people that were running for office were listed in that directory, Michelle’s reasoning would have eliminated her as well. Also the forms mentioned that were filed in my office were their election forms including financial statements.
ReplyDeleteJoAn Churchill
I hope I can get a proper suitable answer for all the citizens.
ReplyDeleteWell seems the "Mayor" cannot count and cannot figure a way to stop the members who are trying to do something right for all the people in the town!!! Go folks!! You seem to be making progress!
ReplyDeleteBrad, in the 3rd paragraph of your post you stated the council ignored the boice of the people. While there are 3 or 4 on council who regularly do ignore the voice of the people, for the most part they do not. They are not only attentive to the public, they go looking for their opinions. That's - as far as I can tell - is a whole new policy in the community. Once elected, the occupants of the City Council Chairs seemed to reflect their opinion was all that counts.
ReplyDeleteIn fact the people who represent the citizens of Alexander, as mentioned before; with the exception of a few, table their personal opinions for the voice of their constituents when necessary. It is very rarely necessary if at all, because the people voted for Aldermen they believed would represent them well. The matches have been phenominal. Things are getting done, and I personally am very pleased. You have your opinion, I have mine - and it is; I think your wrong on that call.
that's 'voice' not 'boice' folks
ReplyDelete