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Alexander council votes no on audit |
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Tuesday, 20 October 2009 |
Heated debates dominated the Alexander City Council meeting on Monday as the council decided not to rescind Resolution 2009-03, which had approved the detachment of South Alexander.
In another issue, the council voted not to have a full city audit.
During the September council meeting, Andrea Bearden presented the council with a petition signed by 150 South Alexander residents who asked to be brought back into the city.
Alderman Philip Jones raised questions about the validity of the signatures on the petition.
“We don’t know who these people are or who gathered the signatures and under what circumstance,” Jones said.
Alderman Daisy Hill argued with Jones. She wants the council to conduct another vote allowing the people to decide again about the annexation.
“The highest percentage of Alexander carries the vote and pays tax dollars,” Hill said. “What is there to gain by anybody to decide that we don’t want the annexed part?”
“I think the people have a right to vote,” Jones said. “You can’t say where a majority of the votes go without the numbers.”
Hill agreed. A vote was taken among the council members to repeal the resolution and it did not pass.
“You sold us out dry,” Hill said to Alderman Michael Huck after he voted against rescinding the resolution.
Following the vote, Hill asked the mayor if she could leave the meeting because of health issues, but she remained to discuss a safety issue with Police Chief Allen Spears.
She requested a police officer to monitor the school bus pickup areas on Arkansas 111.
“If we don’t get something done, we’re going to lose some small children,” Hill said.
Spears agreed to have an officer in the area until safety signs could be erected.
Mayor Shirley Johnson then informed the council of an upcoming city audit by the Legislative Joint Auditing Committee.
Huck said the city has not had a full city audit in the last 10 years; it has had only procedural audits.
“Procedural audits don’t tell us if we have all of the money in our accounts that we are supposed to have,” he said. “The violations we have... I’ve been told those are the kind of violations you have if you’re trying to hide something.”
Huck also is upset that the city allows fines to be paid with cash. He is concerned about the lack of a paper trail in regard to the money spent and received by the city.
“There is a paper trail for every cent that enters and leaves this building,” Johnson said.
Huck presented a motion for the council to look for an auditor and then negotiate the costs of the audit. The vote was 4-4 and the mayor did not vote to break the tie. Hill left the meeting at that point.
“I’m going to go ahead and leave,” hel said. “I’m not leaving mad or upset. I just want to leave before I lose my voice.”
In another matter, the council agreed to allow the mayor to hire someone to look at some areas affected by flooding. The mayor also received approval to hire someone to open ditches to help with the flooding problem.
At the end of the meeting, the public was allowed to comment. Constable Scott Chaundler told the council he was disappointed in the council’s decision not to rescind Resolution 2009-03.
“I’d like to ask for Harvey Howard and Daisy Hill’s resignation from the city council because of unethical actions on the council,” Chaundler said.
“I’ll resign when you resign,” Howard said.
The next council meeting is set for 6 p.m. Nov. 16 at the Alexander Municipal Complex.
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