The hopes for new faces and new attitudes was quietly shown the door during Tuesday nights City Council meeting.
While there is one new face on Council, and two returning ones, the names and faces on the various City Boards will stay the same – or go back to those who’ve been there before.
Sometimes keeping the same person on a board is a good thing. Change is hard. The boards all have the opportunity to change every year to some degree – allowing for new mindsets, ideas, and attitudes.
This year is no exception, but, at least with JEDCO we’re going back to a power trip for one individual.
Citing the 2014 Council where Bill Deware appointed himself to JEDCO, Charles “Bubba” Haggard named himself to the board.
When questioned about a possible “Conflict of Interest” by Alderman April Taylor Johnson, Haggard was ready to cite statute allowing up to four city council members to serve on the board.
Mayor Rob Baker agreed that this was correct and that the Texas Municipal League said there was no conflict of interest.
Baker, however, went on to state that by doing so it limits the public input to oversee development.
Haggard claims that he’s just there to help with the transition and that he’ll leave in January. We’ll see… and hope.
Transitions do not require someone to take up space on a board that could be used for someone longer term.
Council has the right to attend JEDCO meetings, and they do. They also can attend Executive Sessions to discuss “sensitive” issues relating to a proposed EDC project.
And, this was three appointments. There are seven members of JEDCO.
If the other four don’t know enough of what is going on to allow for a transition period and don’t have the ability to bring new members up to speed on current JEDCO projects, then they don’t need to be there either.
So, why does Haggard need to occupy a seat himself?
He wants to vote. He wants the feeling of power that comes from shepherding a project along – especially those that are done behind the scenes and maybe don’t have documents done in the correct order…
It was a bad move for Deware back in 2014 and it’s a bad move now in 2023.
But Haggard isn’t the only questionable appointment to JEDCO.
Alderman Ray Hengst appointed his neighbor James Parsons to the board.
Parsons served previously on JEDCO, rightfully exiting the board when he became an Alderman.
However, under Parsons’ leadership, forms weren’t properly filed with the State Comptrollers Office, and project proposals were discussed and voted on without notifying those making application.
JEDCO has a lot of issues that need to be addressed.
One recently removed member regularly questioned Haggard’s actions as President of JEDCO and how JEDCO was not following the statutes regulating EDC’s.
But, he wasn’t re-appointed.
It’s time Council stopped just going along with whatever another member wants to do.
There are millions of dollars at stake – in current bank coffers – and those of Jefferson’s future.
They should be evaluating those being appointed and block the self-engrandisement of placing oneself on a board.