Another Controversial Ending at Huntsville
BEN GARRETT - Independent Herald Staff
MondayÕs meeting of the Huntsville Board of Mayor and Aldermen ended in controversy again, with Mayor George Potter leaving the meeting in progress for the second time in six months. Alderman Charles Lance also walked out of MondayÕs meeting as disagreements between the aldermen and the mayor once again dominated the agenda.
After Potter left the meeting, Vice-Mayor Gary Sexton took charge for the remainder of the meeting, which concluded with only three members of the townÕs governing body present after a standoff regarding a motion by Sexton that lasted almost an hour.
The disagreements began near what was to have been the conclusion of MondayÕs meeting, with Sexton and Alderman Kenneth Jeffers bringing items to the floor for discussion. Both items, involving the townÕs spending and procedural matters involving town employees, had been discussed previously but met with renewed controversy on Monday.
The first was a motion by Jeffers for a new ordinance that requires all procedural matters involving town employees Ñ including hiring, firing and discipline measures Ñ to come before the full board. Currently, these procedures are at the mayorÕs discretion. The ordinance proposal had originally come before the board at its May meeting. The ordinance, introduced then by Alderman Tim Woodward, passed its first reading by a 3-2 vote, with Woodward, Sexton and Jeffers voting for and Lance and Potter voting against. The ordinance failed its second reading, however, by the same margin, as Jeffers changed his vote from for to against.
The matter was reintroduced in rewritten form at Monday eveningÕs meeting and passed by a 4-1 vote, with Potter voting against. The mayor said that he didnÕt know if the town could pass such a measure without changing its charter.
ÒWe need to get the city attorney involved to see what we can do,Ó Potter said. ÒI canÕt vote for it until we let an attorney look at it. I have no objections to it, I just want to get it right.Ó
Jeffers said that most of what the ordinance would entail was already included in the charter but that he Òjust wanted to clarify it.Ó
The proposed ordinance likely stems from a current lawsuit in which the Town of Huntsville is a defendant. The lawsuit, which seeks $300,000, was filed by an employee who was laid off by the town. The employee, a brother to Alderman Woodward, alleges in the suit that he was laid off because of disagreements between Potter and Alderman Woodward.
Following the vote on JeffersÕ motion, the meeting began to fall apart when Sexton made a motion that unauthorized spending be cut from $500 per purchase order to zero. The motion comes on the heels of a May measure that limited spending to $500. Any spending over $500 would have to be approved by the board. While that motion passed by a 5-0 vote, Sexton said that it isnÕt doing enough to cut spending.
ÒOn May 22 we made the motion to limit spending to $500,Ó he said. ÒI was hoping that would curtail spending but it hasnÕt done that.Ó
Under the motion made by Sexton, all items needing to be purchased would have to be brought before the board until further notice. The motion excluded utilities, payrolls and contracts.
Potter asked what the intentions were of the motion. Sexton said that unnecessary items are being purchased.
ÒWe went through tickets of stuff thatÕs been bought and itÕs ridiculous what people are paying for stuff,Ó he said. ÒIÕm not saying that it is your (PotterÕs) fault.Ó
Sexton went on to say that there had been a surplus in buying shovels and Òstuff like thatÓ and asked where it was all going.
Potter refuted SextonÕs statements.
ÒThe town is in better shape now than when I came here,Ó Potter said. ÒWe have a surplus in every department.Ó
Potter also said the town wasnÕt overspending.
ÒWeÕre not spending money,Ó he said. ÒWeÕve got people working. We have to buy them a few supplies.Ó
Alderman Jeffers voiced support for SextonÕs motion, saying that the measure would be only temporary, Òif we can save enough money until weÕre caught up.Ó
Potter said if the board passed the measure, he wouldnÕt sign any checks.
ÒIÕll either sign the checks or I wonÕt,Ó he said. ÒYouÕre trying to take the money to where I canÕt work. When you sign this deal, I wonÕt sign no checks.
ÒIf I need a mowing blade to cut the grass, do I have to wait 30 days to buy a mowing blade and let the grass grow up?Ó
Jeffers said that an alderman could approve a purchase and sign a purchase order any time between meetings.
Alderman Lance also expressed support for the measure.
ÒYou all are spending a lot of money thatÕs unnecessary,Ó he said. ÒThe mayor needs some leeway on spending but he needs to curb it, too.Ó
As debate over the measure continued, Woodward said Potter had already violated the previous motion that limited spending to $500 per purchase order by writing two separate purchase order to the same company, totalling more than $500.
Woodward also charged that the mayor had changed the locks on the storage buildings, preventing the aldermen from being able to determine what supplies the town does or doesnÕt have. Potter responded that the locks were changed because, Òstuff was getting gone by the gobs.Ó
Woodward asked if the mayor was accusing the aldermen of stealing the supplies. Potter said that he hadnÕt named any names.
At that point, Alderman Lance walked out of the meeting.
After Potter said he wouldnÕt bring the motion up for a roll-call vote until the board held a work session to Òsit down and work all this out,Ó Sexton offered to amend his motion, changing the unauthorized spending limit from $0 per month to $500. Potter said he couldnÕt operate the town on anything less than $1,000 per month.
ÒGive me $1,000 to spend,Ó he said. ÒAnything over $1,000, (Alderman) Ken (Jeffers) signs with me.Ó
The mayor said he didnÕt want the purchase orders to be signed by Vice-Mayor Sexton because, ÒGaryÕs running for mayor and heÕs gouging me any way he can gouge me.Ó
After debate continued for several more minutes, Mayor Potter stated that if the board couldnÕt agree to allow $1,000 unauthorized spending per month he was Òready to go.Ó When Sexton refused to further alter his motion, Potter declared the meeting adjourned and left the room.
Because no motion had been made to adjourn the meeting and no roll-call vote taken, the meeting was technically still in progress, even with the mayor absent. Sexton, as vice-mayor, took over the meeting and called the motion for a vote. All three members remaining voted in favor of the motion, then subsequently voted 3-0 on a Woodward motion that all outgoing checks and purchase orders have to be signed by the mayor and vice-mayor.
In other business . . .
¥ The board voted to adopt a 1/12 continuing budget for the month of October. Mayor Potter informed the board that the budget for FY 2003-2004 had been sent to the Department of Local Finance and the town was awaiting approval before it could go into effect;
¥ A motion authorizing the mayor to sign an agreement with the Huntsville Utility District to do billing and collection of the townÕs sewer bills was tabled until all board members have an opportunity to read over the agreement; and,
¥ The mayor announced that groundbreaking for the new sewer plant has been set for today (Thursday) at 1:30 p.m. It was also announced that a called meeting will be held tomorrow (Friday) to open bids on the repaving of Hickory Mill Road.
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