Earle Mayor issues ‘veto’ on already existing policy

Earle Mayor issues ‘veto’ on already existing policy

Jones edict attempts to void all council action taken in her absence

news@theeveningtimes.com

Earle Mayor Carolyn Jones has vetoed an order by the city council to restrict her use of a city owned car to business hours as well as any other actions taken at the last meeting while she was absent.

Jones notified City Clerk Cynthia Conner in writing on March 9 of her decision to “veto any decisions, ordinances, or actions that were decided upon” at the March 8 meeting.

Jones had canceled the meeting “due to illness” and was unable to attend, but the council members met without her.

Under Arkansas law, in the absence of the mayor, the city council shall elect a president pro tempore to preside over the meeting.

Councilman Robert Malone was elected to preside over the meeting.

At that meeting the council voted 6-1 to enforce a city policy that requires city owned vehicles be used for official business only.

The crackdown came after the council was shown pictures of Jones’s city owned car parked at Southland Park on four separate occasions.

Councilman Kenneth Cross, who made the motion, expressed concerns that the use of the vehicle by Jones was costing city taxpayers money and that using the vehicle to go to the dog track was not city business. The city bought Jones a 2010 Dodge Charger for $13,096 after she was cited by Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration for misusing a vehicle intended for police use that was purchased with federal grant money.

Cross pointed out that the city already has a policy limiting use of city vehicles to official business and the council voted to require city vehicles be parked at city hall after 5 p.m. during the week and on weekends unless it is being used for official city business.

According to the Arkansas Municipal League’s Guidebook for Municipal Officials in Mayor/Council Cities, the mayor in cities and towns with a mayor/council form of government

may veto any ordinance, resolution or order

adopted by the council.

Councils may override the veto by a two-thirds vote of the total membership of the council. The vote to override should occur at the next regular council meeting.

The handbook also states that aldermen/councilmembers are responsible for the “management and control of the city finances and all real and personal property belonging to the city.

The car was spotted again and photographed at Southland Park on Tuesday, March 15 past midnight.

Jones did not show up to work at city hall the following day on Wednesday, March 15.

Cross said although Jones had the right to veto the council’s order, he will ask the council to vote to override her veto at the next council meeting on April 12.

“It was an order,” Cross said. “And she can veto that order. But at our next regularly scheduled meeting we can override her veto and that will be the end of that. Then she would have to park the car. No question about it.”

It takes to six votes to override a veto, which Cross said they already have.

The only councilmember who voted against the measure was Jesse Selvy.

Bobby Luckett was not at the meeting.

“It only needs six people,” Cross said. “We have the six people.”

If Jones ignores the order a second time, the matter will be turned over to the county prosecutor and Arkansas Legislative Audit in Little Rock.

“They will do an investigation and if they find her guilty, she will have to pay the consequences,” Cross said.

Cross said he is upset that Jones continues to take the car to the dog track and use it as her personal vehicle.

“I’m very annoyed about it,” Cross said. “This is costing the taxpayers money.”

By Mark Randall