Post by dixiepixie on Jan 10, 2007 12:13:00 GMT -5
Argo is a lovely little speed trap just north/east of Trussville. Argo, like Trussville and Leeds straddles the Jefferson/St Clair County lines and is incorperated in both counties. This is one of the three towns (Heflin was another) that caused the bill that disallows local law enforcement of a town with a population of less than 19,000 to enforce speed limits on the interstates by issuing speeding tickets.
They are now in the middle of a governmental nightmare. Four of the seven member town council have resigned leaving the town with les than a quorum. A result? The town has yet to pass it's budget for the year and can not pay it's bills.
Why is this going on? The council ran off the mayor the town elected and are in a bickerfest with the new mayor. Sometimes small town politics can be down right strange.
www.al.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/news/1168425344157570.xml&coll=2
Roland Collins sat silently in the back of the Argo Town Council chamber with a brown paper bag over his head.
Collins said he wore the bag - once a gimmick used by a stand-up comic and then adopted by disgruntled sports fans - to illustrate his disgust with the council. He called himself "the unknown citizen."
"This is a joke," he said, pointing to the council table.
Argo's council hasn't been able to get enough members to vote since mid-December, when Brian Williams resigned. Later in the month, Kenny Gospodareck resigned, leaving four members on the council.
When Patricia Powell did not attend Monday, that left the council without a quorum once again. Then she followed up her absence Tuesday by resigning, leaving the council with only three members.
The council had planned Monday to extend the old budget as it continues to work on the new one. Now, without taking action, the town cannot pay its bills, said Mayor Louie "Butch" Glenn.
"Luckily, payday was last Wednesday," Glenn said. "But if this keeps up any longer, we won't be able to pay our fire and police personnel."
Town officials will have to ask Gov. Bob Riley to fill at least one of the vacant seats, allowing the council to have enough members to meet.
Perry Roquemore, executive director of the Alabama League of Municipalities, said such situations are not easily solved.
"You're stuck until you get more people, because the law doesn't provide an easy answer," he said.
State law gives the governor authority to name a new council member if the council cannot do it within 60 days of a resignation. Williams was chosen by Riley after Argo let the deadline lapse on a previous opening. If the governor doesn't pick a new council member, it must be done by special election.
In a two-page resignation letter, Powell, like Williams and Gospodareck, cited bickering and lack of communication as the reason for her resignation.
The council spent much of 2006 feuding over several issues, including hiring a police chief. Powell, Williams and Gospodareck have accused Glenn of violating the state open meetings law by failing to give adequate public notice of work sessions and special council meetings. Monday night, Glenn handed out a statement denying the allegation.
E-mail: wthornton@bhamnews.com l
They are now in the middle of a governmental nightmare. Four of the seven member town council have resigned leaving the town with les than a quorum. A result? The town has yet to pass it's budget for the year and can not pay it's bills.
Why is this going on? The council ran off the mayor the town elected and are in a bickerfest with the new mayor. Sometimes small town politics can be down right strange.
www.al.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/news/1168425344157570.xml&coll=2
Roland Collins sat silently in the back of the Argo Town Council chamber with a brown paper bag over his head.
Collins said he wore the bag - once a gimmick used by a stand-up comic and then adopted by disgruntled sports fans - to illustrate his disgust with the council. He called himself "the unknown citizen."
"This is a joke," he said, pointing to the council table.
Argo's council hasn't been able to get enough members to vote since mid-December, when Brian Williams resigned. Later in the month, Kenny Gospodareck resigned, leaving four members on the council.
When Patricia Powell did not attend Monday, that left the council without a quorum once again. Then she followed up her absence Tuesday by resigning, leaving the council with only three members.
The council had planned Monday to extend the old budget as it continues to work on the new one. Now, without taking action, the town cannot pay its bills, said Mayor Louie "Butch" Glenn.
"Luckily, payday was last Wednesday," Glenn said. "But if this keeps up any longer, we won't be able to pay our fire and police personnel."
Town officials will have to ask Gov. Bob Riley to fill at least one of the vacant seats, allowing the council to have enough members to meet.
Perry Roquemore, executive director of the Alabama League of Municipalities, said such situations are not easily solved.
"You're stuck until you get more people, because the law doesn't provide an easy answer," he said.
State law gives the governor authority to name a new council member if the council cannot do it within 60 days of a resignation. Williams was chosen by Riley after Argo let the deadline lapse on a previous opening. If the governor doesn't pick a new council member, it must be done by special election.
In a two-page resignation letter, Powell, like Williams and Gospodareck, cited bickering and lack of communication as the reason for her resignation.
The council spent much of 2006 feuding over several issues, including hiring a police chief. Powell, Williams and Gospodareck have accused Glenn of violating the state open meetings law by failing to give adequate public notice of work sessions and special council meetings. Monday night, Glenn handed out a statement denying the allegation.
E-mail: wthornton@bhamnews.com l