Howardwick alderman threatens legal action

Howardwick Alderman Doc Holladay threatened to see fellow councilmen in court as city officials clashed again in last week’s city meeting on January 9.

With an admonition by Mayor Greta Byars, citizens attending last Tuesday’s meeting remained respectful and quiet while the mayor and aldermen locked horns over a variety of issues.

Byars opened the meeting by recognizing volunteers who have been working on the city’s streets. Susie Langford, Kay Dye, and Barbara Canter were present and received certificates of appreciation for working with Alderman Holladay to patch roads. Also recognized were Gwen Holladay, Alderman Holladay, Debbora Sharpton, Burt Compton, and Billy Holladay.

As the meeting proceeded, Alderman Eric Riddle called a point of order when Byars deviated from the printed order of the agenda, skipping to opening bids on a city-owned Jeep.

Following the reading of the minutes, Alderman Robert Brewster reported that he and Riddle had gone to see Jack Moreman about the concerns the business man raised at the city’s December meeting. Brewster said Moreman was “pleased with our visit,” but Byars said she had also talked to Moreman.

Comments then became focused on parliamentary procedure before the meeting resumed with the financial report and list of bills. As the Jeep bids came back up, the mayor raised issues about whether or not a public hearing was or was not held when the city’s tax rate was set last year. Riddle again called a point of order for not following the agenda.

Byars accepted the high bid of $426 for the Jeep with no council action and did not disclose the identity of either the high bidder or only other bidder, who bid $125.

The meeting then turned to Alderman Holladay’s motion from December, seeking to repeal a 2014 resolution that led to reclassifying the city from a Type B municipality to a Type A and refunding taxes collected as a result of that. Riddle argued that motion was still not in order because the original agenda item from December was not an action item. Holladay asked the board if he would get a second for his motion, and there was none.

“Okay, I will see you in court,” Holladay said and noted that former code enforcement officer Will Jordan, City Secretary Tammy Jordan, former mayor Mike Rowland, Aldermen Mac Miller and Robert Brewster, and “the other members of the board” at the time will be defendants.

The board did agree to buy two 24-inch culverts and to issue a city credit card to Mayor Byars before locking horns again, this time over the possible dismissal of a volunteer fireman who pled guilty in November to two counts of theft of service.

Alderman Holladay called the man “a confessed thief,” and moved to dismiss him from the fire department. Riddle said the council had no authority to take that action. City Secretary Tammy Jordan, along with Riddle, pointed out that the 1999 articles of incorporation of the fire department and a subsequent service agreement between the department and the city prevents the city from dismissing firemen. Holladay received no second to his motion.

“Let the record show they support criminal activity in Howardwick and are in full support of the perpetrator,” Holladay said of his fellow council members.

“Alderman Holladay, you need to stop putting words in our mouths,” Riddle shot back. “You have no clue what any of us are thinking.”

Discussion then turned to the need to clean up certain properties in Howardwick and resulted in Mayor Byars agreeing to find out what the city’s legal options are.

Sheriff Butch Blackburn, who also attended in December, addressed the meeting and said he wasn’t one to tell the city how run its meetings but if they will just follow the rules and procedures, “you’ll find that things will go smooth.”

Citizens’ comments followed and were orderly and respectful and covered topics such as working with another city for code enforcement, needing tires for the city dump truck, a presentation to the mayor of a key to the city, working with Donley County on certain issues, and the possibility of unincorporating the city.