NAACP holds testy Mullins public meeting

City of Mullins officials were called to the carpet Monday for a public forum organized by the Marion County branch NAACP and the Community United for change organization.

However, five of six council members decided not to attend the informal question and answer session, with just the Mayor Pam Lee and councilwoman Terry Davis meeting with a group of 41 people.

Terry Davis said she was pleased about the public’s participation and would be open to assist anyway possible. “Lets make sure the next time we have a town meeting any issues you want to address you make council aware of that,” she said.

Marion County branch NAACP secretary Helen Gerald said the purpose of the meeting was to get answers regarding how the city and its employees within the water department operated. She wasn’t pleased with the response when the meeting was over.

“We’ve been asking and raising questions that the citizens need to be answered and everybody is avoiding the answer,” Gerald said. “It’s okay. The council members that did not show, just showed how much they care about our votes, how much they care for us as citizens and how much they care about our city as a whole.”

In November, the organization requested council to hold a town hall meeting to give the public an opportunity to ask questions about council’s discovery of a discrepancy regarding the Mayor Pam Lee’s outstanding bill for water services. Council had revealed that the mayor had not paid for city water services at her residence for more than two years. An outstanding bill on her residence along with her mother’s residence and Pizza Shak business was said to be in the amount of $16,300 in taxes, fees and interest.

Former City Administrator Edwin P. Rogers Jr. had set up an installment plan for payment of the some of the bills for Lee, but council members voided the agreement, saying they’d never heard of it.

However, Rogers said that Lee’s water bill at her residence was just $2,100.11. An account Lee said Monday was paid in full.

In response to the matter, council approved that the mayor pro tem Pat Phillips serve as chief executive officer of the city and in charge of enforcing city ordinances. The role as mayor pro tem also includes presiding at all meetings to the council and authority to appoint all committees.

Mayor Lee said her working relationship with council has been strained since the discovery.

"It was just asked that I sign away my powers, which I did not,” Lee said of the action taken by council. “I get notified of the regular monthly meetings but any of the other meetings I’m not.”

Lee said she doesn’t feel welcomed in City Hall either.

Former Mullins Police Chief Kenneth Davis has been on the job as city administrator since December after being promoted by council. He was present to answer questions from the public but was soon left with the feeling of being personally attacked by Gerald.

During the public meeting, Gerald said she met with the city administrator last week and “he talked to her like a dog.” Gerald said she had the conversation on tape.

Kenneth Davis responded he had an open door policy and if anyone had concerns or issues that need to be addressed, he encourages them to call or visit City Hall.

“I dealt with some specifics and most of the personal attacks I get from the same individuals I get most of my personal attacks from,” Kenneth Davis said. “I think anybody that knows me, have know me for years to be an honest, straightforward ethical person. I was put here by the council to take care of the interest of the city.”

Gerald said the meeting was for citizens to express how they feel.

Branch president Isaac Black acknowledged some of the heated exchanges occurred out of growing frustration.

“Sometimes when things happen over periods of time people get emotional about those things,” Black said. “They feel like there city representatives, the city administrator or whomever has let them down.”

Black also stood by Gerald’s accusation. “We don’t know if those attacks were founded or not. In the case of the things Ms. Helen Gerald said, they certainly were and we have that information on tape.”  

Residents asked several questions on topics such as the need to replace and install new street signs, hardship cases concerning water department customers and sewage leaks.

The city administrator also responded to a number of direct questions.

Gerald asked if he had a lawsuit against the city prior to being hired on his new job, which he replied no.

One citizen wanted to know if newly appointed police chief Michael Bethea, a Dillon resident, plans to move to Mullins and if it was a job requirement to do so.

Mayor Lee said it is a requirement for the police chief to live in Mullins.

Davis said Bethea intends to move to the city and he was unaware of any ordinance or department policy that requires him to live in the city. Councilwoman Terry Davis said she has not seen one either.

Overall, Black said he thought the meeting was a success, with intentions to meet every three months. “I think this is the beginning of something great in this city,” he said. “It’s an opportunity for citizens to express their concerns not necessarily in open session … but in this kind of setting they can tell city council directly their concerns.”

City council will hold its regular monthly meeting tonight at 6 p.m.