To the editor,
I want to thank you for your story on the city’s unposted meeting with the City Administrator candidates. Also, thanks to Austin for his Editorial column where he told how simple it would have been to have avoided this whole situation.
I was very disappointed that some Council members willingly chose to do this when at least 2 had already been called out on this about 8 months ago when they sat in on an interview with a different prospective candidate.without posting it. This was before the election so there wasn’t a mayor attending that meeting.
I was very disappointed that the Council felt a need to check with the City Attorney to find out if this meeting HAD to be posted. It should have been done because it was the right thing to do to inform the public of what their elected officials are meeting about.
The argument now is about the legality of the gathering of a quorum of members. I was told by Ted there were 4, which is a quorum, some of the time. The 2 longest serving Aldermen, Jim and Victor certainly knew better, David was also in the meeting months before and Ted, Gary and Rob are new so may not know.. Tyrani was not present that day.
Unfortunately, I feel we are all losers in this because this is the type of political mess that divides us all the more. The 22 months I was Mayor, I tried to be the most transparent and open ever but there was a majority on the Council that didn’t feel the same way and this shows to this day. I hope the Council will not repeat it’s mistake on future Open Meeting Act violations and as Austin said “Just post it”.
Charles “Bubba” Haggard
Former mayor of Jefferson