Monday night's meeting of the Pelahatchie Board of Aldermen was so filled with nuclear combat that JJ split its coverage into two posts. Enjoy the rest of this post and the video.
Video Highlights
2:00: Reverend attempts to give $400 check to Town but donation is refused.
9:00 Mayor asks the Board why it wouldn't accept the donation.
13:30: Attorney tried to invoke Robert's Rules of Orders but failed.
14:45: Mayor tries to split invoices.
21:30: Mayor suggests using line of credit if needed to pay bills if need be.
26:00: They spar over pine straw.
31:00: Mayor says former deputy clerk accused her of racism in an EEOC complaint.
44:30: Mayor Alderwoman go at it again.
46:45: Mayor and Town Clerk squabble.
Credit: Pelahatchie News
*Previous Deputy Clerk filed an EEOC complaint against town. Mayor Beechem said the complainant said "I treated blacks better." (31:00). The Board voted to retain Mr. Wolfe to represent the town in this matter.
*The Board attempted to prevent department heads from making any purchases under $600. It blew up at 44:30 as the Mayor and Alderwoman sparred yet again.
*The two sides couldn't help themselves but engaged in yet another free-for-all over..... drum roll..... the training of the city clerk. The agenda stated the board would hire a consultant to train the new Town Clerk and Deputy Town Clerk. The fun begins at 46:45. The Mayor said training classes had been available. Town Clerk Thomas Lyle disagreed with her statement and things went downhill afterwards. They accused each other of making false assertions. Voices grew loud and angry as the Aldermen, Mayor, and Clerk all talked over and took shots at each other. The anger went to the next level at 53:30 as the Clerk and Mayor went at it.
*The Board voted to create a Mayor's Youth Council.
*The final bout took place over a discussion about none other than the annual Muscadine Jubilee Festival. The agenda stated that the Board must pre-approve anyone "acting" for the town regarding the festival. Mayor Beechem said the town had been a main sponsor of the festival for 38 years. A committee operates the festival. The Mayor said entertainment contracts with three bands would cost $31,000. (See second video). One alderman said he didn't know if the town could afford it. The Mayor replied that the town spent $30,000 last year on the festival. She said businesses and sponsors have already sent money to the committee for the festival.
Alderwoman Margie Warren moved to cancel the festival to cries of surprise from the audience. Mayor Beechem corrected her and said the town was a sponsor but did not actually operate the festival. She asked Ms. Warren what the reason was for "cancelling the jubilee." Ms. Warren replied, "We don't have the money." The bickering began again (5:30) as the Mayor defended sponsoring the festival while Ms. Warren wanted to cancel it.
The Mayor questioned why the Board wanted to suddenly refuse to participate in the festival. She berated the Board
It makes no sense for a board to sit here and say oh, we're not going to participate so we participated in all those years but this year you're not going to participate. To me, that doesn't look good at all across the board, whether you like me or not, it doesn't look good for this town and I'm tired of being out there like that where y'all are saying we're going to do it like that. That's not fair, that's not fair to the townpeople. I'ts not my event. I gain nothing personally from it. People have come to me, I don't care what color you are, it doesn't matter. They come to me saying what's going on? We want the Muscadine Jubilee. This helps our business here in town, this helps our taxes, this helps the town. We constantly say we don't have money but we aren't doing anything to generate revenue. We only say what we don't have. I don' t hear no board member coming to me and saying We can do this to help revenue, we can do this to get the ballpark up for xxxx (unintelligible)..... I don't hear you guys saying that. All I hear every time we come here is what we don't have. We will not grow, we can not move forward if we don't start producing things we can do ....
Ms. Warren asked the Mayor why she was looking at her as she spoke. No motion was made regarding the festival.
*The Board and Mayor went into executive session. However, the Board adjourned the meeting while in executive session as the door was still closed and the public was not allowed to attend that part of the meeting. This correspondent informed Mr. Wolfe that the adjournment violated the Open Meetings Act.
*Police Chief Kevin Poole resigned the next day. His resignation is effective July 13.
*The town hired Michael Wolfe as town attorney.
9 comments:
Wonder if the board can remove the mayor for violating the bid law on the Murphy's landscaping bill?
I went to the Muscadine Festival in Pelahatchie a couple of years ago. It had almost nothing to do with muscadines (one vendor), but it a lot of trinkets and fried food for sale.
Why was a check from a preacher rejected?
I've attended that festival a number of times. They always had a fun time stomping what they said were muscadines in shallow pans or barrels. It was a competition, barefoot with britches legs cut off or rolled up. It was a day in Mayberry. Lots of fun. If you don't like fried food, sno-cones, 'trinkets', laughter and simple folk coming to town to have fun.....stay the hell away! Sit in Brandon and drink beer and watch Nascar with your rabbit ears.
Will, if expenditure of taxpayer funds is required to have the festival and there is any element of risk that won't pay off in terms of additional sales tax revenue and the like, then the answer should have always been "no." Otherwise, let business people in the town organize and fund the festival.
"...won't pay off in terms of additional sales tax revenue and the like..."
You've painted yourself into a pretty broad corner there Charlie.
Why would this board want to work with this mayor. From the first day in office she has tried to throw the board under the bus. She and the chief of police turned the board into the auditors office trying to get them in trouble. Now the chief is gone which comes as no surprise. Now she has broken the law by not getting bids on a wall she had build at the park. She wants the board to split bids after the fact. Why would the board want to help her. She would turn it around on them and try and make it look like it was their fault. Also the mayor has broken the law by talking about EEOC claim. I believe thats federal law. Now she is in a jam because she has signed contracts for bands to play at the festival with no backing to pay for it. Good luck mayor when you can not even pay your water bill and had your water cut off.
12:55 - let me guess. You don't like the Mayor. And, you don't know jack about what you are saying ("she broke the law by talking about EEOC claim. I believe that's federal law.") Besides needing a few more words, your statement is interesting reading in that you make the declaration (wrong, by the way) and then admit you really don't know what the s**t you are talking about. But, that doesn't matter -- you are still talking.
Pot -- meet kettle. You ought to sit on the board of alderman. Or maybe, you do.
4:30. HAHA. I believe that someone hit a nerve. You stated that they didn't know about the law. What about the bids on the wall. You think a law was broke here.
I’ve lived here all my life, and for the first time I’m ashamed to tell folks I’m from pelahatchie. It’s truly sad. I think the mayor came into office with a huge chip on her shoulder. She claims to fight for the town, but it seems pretty obvious that the only thing she’s fighting for is her (and from some claims, her mother’s) pride and ego. It’s strange how race has never been an issue in our town itself or in the town government until this mayor came in and insists at every opportunity to point out her and everyone else’s race. She’s making it an issue bc it makes people feel they must accept all her demands simply bc she’s black and/or out of fear of being seen as racist. But, the mayor needs to realize that getting your way based solely on the basis of your race is just as racist. So, she can jump right off that high horse she rode into town on.
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