COMMENTARY
I'm going to skip the usual fair and unbiased reporting of the City of Alexander's
monthly meeting and go straight to commentary. I do this because after serving
four months in its current configuration this council has shown it's made up of
weak, naive, underhanded, bootlicking, and just plain stupid aldermen.
Without appearing on the agenda and without her resume being provided
to the aldermen in their meeting packets; former Mayor Shirley Johnson managed to
finagle her way onto the city's planning commission. She will serve a one-year
term followed by a three-year term to whomever is appointed to that position.
Gee, I wonder who it will be.
The unexpected action occurred at the April 20 meeting with future
ex-Alderwoman Andrea Bearden leading the way. Without making a motion to put
the appointment on the agenda (which is required and should have been done at
the start of the meeting) Bearden blurted out at the start of New Business, "I
make a motion to appoint Shirley Johnson to the Alexander Planning Commission
for a term of one year." Future ex-Alderman and Shirley Johnson
boot-licker Andy Mullins seconded the motion.
It's interesting that while none of the aldermen had a copy of Johnson's
resume in their packet Bearden had plenty to hand out. How convenient.
When asked by Bearden, Johnson said she turned in her resume Monday,
April 13. Packets are usually available by Thursday or Friday the week before
the meeting.
Bearden's reasoning for appointing Johnson is, "We don't have anybody
representing District-1, Ward-1, on the planning commission." And, magically
Shirley Johnson comes to the rescue.
Johnson stood before the council and gave a low-spoken oratory of
sweetness that would give a diabetic a seizure.
"I would like to work with the planning commission ... Bob
(McKeon) and I have worked on projects before, we don't always agree," Johnson
said, "I've lived here over 70 years."
McKeon was appointed to the planning commission two weeks ago at a
special meeting. We'll get back to that later.
The final vote was seven "Yes" and one "No."
Because Alderwoman Stephanie Beck was absent from the meeting she was counted
as a "No" vote.
Before Johnson spoke Alderwoman Melissa Rutledge asked Bearden if this
was, "The same Shirley Johnson you were talking about when we were doing
the employee manual?"
After Bearden replied yes Rutledge said, "And, you're nominating
her for the planning commission?"
After Johnson was defeated by current Mayor Paul Mitchell in the
November, 2010 election Johnson tried to collect a pension based on the
retirement section of the employee manual. It was eventually determined that
section was illegal and has been stricken from the manual. Johnson was mayor
when it was passed in October 2005 and went into effect January 2006. Eventually,
enough Johnson worshipers ended up on the council to award her an $820 monthly
pension; which is still in effect. Current Ward-2 Alderman Andy Mullins was one
of the aldermen who voted for her pension.
But there's more to the Johnson legacy. After the completion of St.
Joseph's Glen Johnson admitted during a council meeting the planning commission
allowed the developers to build St. Joseph's Glen without paying for building
permits. Translation; I convinced commission members it would be a good thing
for Alexander. It was also illegal since planning commissions have no authority
to approve anything, they only recommend.
Current Mayor Mitchell was on the council at the time she made that
statement. And, since she wasn't on the agenda for this meeting no one could
attend to counter why she shouldn't be on the planning commission.
This was not the process used when the other four members were
appointed to the planning commission. A workshop meeting was held Monday
evening March 23 in which aldermen interviewed five applicants for the five
available planning commission seats. They were Robert "Bob" McKeon,
former Alderman Michael Huck, John W. Reeves, Sr., Deanna Reeves, and current
Alderwoman Andrea Bearden. Former Ward-1 Alderwoman Ceola Bailey submitted a
resume but did not attend the workshop. Ward-1; that's where Johnson lives.
At a special meeting, held Monday, April 6 the seven aldermen present and
mayor went into executive session to discuss the applicants. After the
executive session they nominated and appointed McKeon to a three-year term, Deanna
Reeves and Bearden to two-year terms, and John W. Reeves, Sr. to a one-year
term. Each applicant received seven "Yes" votes and one
"No" vote due to the absence of Alderwoman Melissa Ratliff.
A motion was made to appoint former Alderman Michael Huck to a one-year
term. He received only one "Yes" vote from Alderman Dan Church. This
left Alexander with one vacancy on the planning commission. How far ahead was
this planned?
Planning commission mischief and illegal employee manuals aren't her
only legacy. The Arkansas Division of Legislative Audit (ADLA) conducts an
annual audit of municipalities and other government entities. The audit
consists of a review of accounting practices and whether or not they meet state
requirements. Under her reign as mayor, starting with the calendar year 1998
and ending in 2010, the ADLA listed the following items.
1998 - "The Mayor did
not provide a budget for the Police and Water Development Funds. Total
expenditures for these funds were $35,179.32. Budgets are necessary for control
of expenditures."
"The Recorder/Treasurer did not transfer $13,150.08 of highway
turnback funds deposited into the General Fund to the Street Fund. This amount,
combined with previous years [sic] improper transactions, resulted in the
General Fund owing the Street Fund $48,070.11."
1999 - "Street Fund
turnback in the amount of $3,979.29 was deposited to the General Fund." The
General Fund now owes the Street Fund $52,049.40.
2000 - "Street Fund turnback in the amount of
$5,646.03 was deposited to the General Fund." The General Fund now
owes the Street Fund $57,695.43.
2001 - "Street Fund turnback in the amount of
$14,849 was deposited in the General Fund." The General Fund now
owes the Street Fund $72,544.43.
2002 - "Street Fund turnback in the amount of
$11,977 was deposited in the General Fund." The General Fund now
owes the Street Fund $84,521.43.
2003 - "Street Fund turnback in the amount of $7,638
was deposited in the General Fund." The General Fund now owes the
Street Fund $92,159.43.
2004 - Everyone performed well this year.
2005 - "State aid for
highway funds in the amount of $10,184.31 was not transferred to the Street
Fund from the General Fund ... . State aid from previous years has also not
been transferred with a total of $106,072.99 due to the Street Fund from the
General Fund at December 31, 2005."
2006 - "The General Fund disbursements exceeded
appropriations by $306,843 (116%)." This means Mayor Johnson spent
more money than the council had budgeted
and didn't present aldermen with an adjusted budget.
"State aid for highway funds in the amount of $29,297 was not
transferred to the Street Fund from the General Fund," the report states.
"State aid from previous years has also not been transferred with a total
of $135,370 due to the Street Fund from the General Fund at December 31, 2006."
As a historical reference, it was in August of 2006 that Woodland Hills
was annexed to the City of Alexander.
2007 - "State aid for highway funds in the amount of $24,543
was not transferred to the Street Fund from the General Fund. State aid from
previous years has also not been transferred with a total of $159,913 due to
the Street Fund from the General Fund at December 31, 2007."
2008 & 2009 - This was a combined audit conducted in 2010
because no audits were done in 2009.
"General Fund total disbursements for 2008
exceeded appropriations by $178,707 (27%)." Once again aldermen
were not given an opportunity to approve an amended budget.
"State aid for highway turnback funds from
previous years has not been transferred from the General Fund to the Street
Fund. The total amount due to
the Street Fund at December 31, 2009 and 2008 was $112,806 and $132,792, respectively."
It was about this time
the aldermen discovered the illegal use of Street Fund revenue and passed a
motion requiring that money go directly into the Street Fund. The council also
began budgeting repayments from the General Fund to the Street Fund. If you'll
notice the amount owed from the General Fund to the Street Fund between 2008
and 2009 has been reduced.
2010 - "The governing
body did not review the prior agreed-upon procedures report and accompanying
comments at the first regularly scheduled meeting following receipt of the
report as required by Ark. Code Ann. § 10-4-418." According to state law council members are
suppose to review the report and take the necessary actions to correct any
errors before the report is sent to the ADLA.
"State aid for highway turnback funds from previous years was not
transferred from the General Fund to the Street Fund. The total amount due to
the Street Fund at December 31, 2O1O was $97,933."
Racial profiling
Then there's the opinion
of U.S. District Judge G.
Thomas Eisele issued in March of 2010 when he ruled against Alexander in a
racial profiling lawsuit. In 2009 several male Hispanics filed a lawsuit charging
former Police Officer Tommy Leath with targeting Hispanics for traffic stops. A
review of citations he issued showed he had a higher percentage for Hispanics
than other Alexander officers. Included in the lawsuit were Johnson and former
Police Chief Allen Spears.
"In late April (2009), Mayor Johnson was specifically
notified by a citizen, Jamie Guardado, of the allegation that Leath was
racially profiling Hispanics," Judge Eisele said in his ruling. "Once
advised of such a serious allegation, Johnson, at a minimum, should have
reported the allegation to Spears and ensured that they (the allegations) were
properly investigated. She was deliberately indifferent not to so act."
He also said, "The record indicates and the Court finds
that City policy-makers Mayor Johnson and Chief Spears knew that Leath was
targeting Hispanics but took no action to stop him. By their silence, they both
condoned his conduct and allowed it to continue."
Back taxes owed
the IRS
After Paul Mitchell became Mayor in January, 2011 he and the
council learned of another secret Johnson kept hidden from aldermen. The City
of Alexander owed several thousand dollars in back payments and penalties to
the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Rather than working out a payment plan with the IRS she
hired a Texas company to make the IRS go away. Thanks to former Mayor Johnson Alexander
started 2011 not only owing the IRS but a couple more thousand to this company,
which of course was not able to make the IRS vanish.
This is the person the city council has appointed to the new planning
commission. I wonder how long it will take her to get it running like the old
planning commission. And, don't you doubt that she won't use it to get back on
her throne.
Since I have absolutely no use for this wimpy, get-along, anti-Paul
Mitchell, hail Queen Shirley council I am shutting down this blog. Now that
you've let the termite back into the house the structure will begin to
once-again rot from the inside.