MORE MUSINGS IN RIVER CITY
11-20-08
SHOW US THE MONEY: Where did the more than $1 million go that Mayor Perkins told the city was in the city treasury as of September 30? Now the city has had to borrow $225,000 just to meet expenses this month. Mayor Evans MUST have a forensic audit done of city finances during the past 4 years. Where did the money go OR was it ever there? We blame City Finance Director Cynthia Mitchell for some of this. For 4 years, she did everything possible to hide what was going on as Councilmen Williamson and Cain asked question after question about city finances. Rather than do what was right, she opted to be afraid of Perkins and did his bidding. THE CITY COUNCIL MUST REMOVE HER FROM THIS POSITION.
WE also encourage Mayor Evans to make changes in city hall and in department heads immediately. THE PEOPLE ELECTED EVANS BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT HE WOULD MAKE CHANGES IN CITY GOVERNMENT....not keep the same Perkins people running city hall and city government. We encourage those who voted for Evans to speak to him now, and often, emphasizing that we want changes made in city hall and in department heads.
WE believe that the city council removed Lois Williams as Clerk and Cynthia Mitchell as Finance Director Tuesday night when Resolutions which would have reappointed them were defeated by a majority vote of the council. Only Crenshaw and Randolph (no surprises there) voted to rehire them while Ward 4 member Benjamin abstained. The other five members of the Council present, Williamson, Newton, Keith, Bowie and Tucker, all voted against rehiring Williams and Mitchell. If we understand parliamentary procedure, this means Williams and Mitchell cannot be brought up again unless one of the 5 members who voted in the majority changes his/her mind. By insisting that the Council vote Tuesday night, Crenshaw and Randolph actually "cut off their noses to spite their own faces" and effectively removed Williams and Mitchell from office.
WE PRAY that Council President Allen will soon recover from her unexpected surgery and return to her place of presiding over the council. Please remember her in your prayers.
HERE IS MORE INCOMPETENCE and the reason Mayor Evans MUST make changes in City Hall. The City Tax Collector's office HAS NOT sent out the property tax notices in Selma. These notices are usually sent out in OCTOBER. When asked why the notices have not been mailed, the tax collector's office, which is a part of Mitchell's Finance Department, blamed the printer for not having the forms ready to be mailed out. City Hall should know that not many people are going to go down and pay their taxes until they get a bill showing how much they owe. Come on, Mayor Evans, how about shaping the Finance Department up down there at city hall. This city will not financially survive 4 more years of the utter incompetence which characterized most of Perkins' Department heads, who are still in positions of authority as of today!
AND WHAT IS WITH CRENSHAW not wanting to participate in a day of prayer for elected officials as proposed by Councilman Bowie? The Lord knows that the council members sure stand in need of prayer and we commend Bowie for the suggestion. We hope he and the other council members will go forward with the idea-with or without Crenshaw!
WE WILL say that the council meeting Tuesday was one of the most pleasant and harmonious that we have seen in the city in a long time. We pray that this will continue to be the norm for the next 4 years.
NOW FOR THE SECOND BIGGEST MESS IN SELMA: The Water Works and Sewer Board-when Council member Jean Martin joined with the Crenshaw 4 (Crenshaw, Leashore,Randolph and Venter) and elected Mrs. Millie Vick to the water board, we knew that Vick would be a pawn for Bennie Ruth Crenshaw. Although Evans, Allen, Williamson and Cain voted for someone else or abstained, it made no difference once Martin joined with the Crenshaw 4 to give Vick the 5 votes to be elected. AT THE WATER BOARD MEETING this week, Vick and Crenshaw voted NOT to make Mayor Evans Superintendent of the Water Company. Chairman Lee Godwin voted for Evans. Evans was kept from being superintendent by a 2-1 vote. IT IS NOW PAST TIME FOR THE CITY COUNCIL TO PUT 2 members on the Water Board who will remove Perkins as Superintendent, make Evans Superintendent, remove Perkins brother in law, Collins Pettaway as Board attorney, and remove Crenshaw as Secretary-Treasurer. We trust the Council will take such action next Tuesday. We are sorry that Millie Vick has aligned herself with Crenshaw and is NOT doing what is right.
ON ANOTHER NOTE: Although we did not hear the Viewpoint Program on Tuesday, we understand that The Watchman Fellowship has declared Mark Duke and his followers to be a CULT. We are trying to get a tape of that part of the broadcast so that we can post it on the web site. What we don't understand about the Dukester is why he and his followers did not join established programs in Selma such as the Encore Group, but instead set up their own theatre company, Random Acts Theatre (RATS). Also, we have heard that though Duke and his followers promoted the infamous Selma-Southside basketball game promising that some proceeds would go to the local SAV A LIFE, that SAV A LIFE HAS NOT RECEIVED any money from the game. Is this correct? And of course the Teppers Building remains unfinished and an eyesore in downtown! And we are especially disappointed in the un Christ-like attitude expressed by Duke and his cohorts toward those who disagree with him. Have you noticed ALL THE PEOPLE in Selma he has attacked or said nasty things about on his radio program and on his tapes?
