January 6, 2016 - The City of Timpson has named a new mayor by way of Ronnie Wolfe, former Mayor pro tem. Although now former Mayor Debra Pate Smith has resigned with the intent of providing a remedy to what she has referred to as an impasse, the rift between council members continues as evidenced by the outcome of the recent meeting held on January 4, 2016.
It appeared the gesture of Smith did remove the impasse; however, well-intentioned as it may have been, it also seems to have only served in giving absolute power to the majority of the council and silencing the voices of minority council members Kyle Allen and Yvonne Ramsey who now seem bent to the will of Wolfe, Grace and Baker. Three individuals with interest in the continued progress in Timpson were on the agenda to speak and they included former Mayor Smith, Al Skinner a resident of Timpson, and Robin Connell a business owner in the city. Each expressed their opinion and Smith mostly wanted to explain she was not resigning because of any particular individual yet for the good of the city and it's citizens.
"I would like to say, in reference to this, it's not anything against Timpson. I love my hometown, I've loved being the mayor. It's not against any of the staff or any of the people in this room. It is because there is an impasse and it could not be worked through and I see no reason if my presence is causing the impasse to stay and block progress for our town," said Smith.
She continued by addressing the opening prayer of the meeting in which Wolfe asked God to forgive his enemies in the room, "I don't consider myself an enemy of Mr. Wolfe, he was praying about that, I hate that he feels that way. I consider myself at odds with him and we were not able to resolve that and I knew that a couple of months ago when he would not vote on the minutes. When you won't vote on the minutes, then there's obviously something in the room that's blocking progress, and if that's me then I don't need to sit at the table."
Al Skinner spoke and suggested the city has progressed well in the past five years during Smith's term and finding someone of her skill level to be mayor should be taken advantage of and he asked the council to search their souls before making the decision to move forward without her.
Robin Connell addressed the council and stated she knows what it is like to be on a contentious board, but that everyone needs to work together and she hates the city has lost a mayor in Smith, "She's done a good job, she's gotten a lot of things cleaned up. I had something that needed to be cleaned up, I ended up tearing down a building that needed to be torn down. I mean it wasn't really what I wanted to do and I ended up spending $7,000 that I really didn't quite especially have at that particular time, but it was something that needed to be done."
Connell agreed, in the end it was something that needed to have been done. Even though some toes have been stepped on during, it was for the greater good.
"You don't need a board that everybody gets along and sees everything exactly the same, because your differences make you, that's where your strength comes from. Everybody doesn't need to be a yes man, that doesn't need to happen," said Connell.
She continued by stating there are things that need to be done for the city including collecting owed money, there is property owned by the city which needs to be sold so it can be put back onto the tax roll, "It's real scary when you have a business and you have a lot of money involved, and you're counting on a city to provide your utilities that is as fractured, and as I hate to say it, it's over petty, it's petty. It's being petty and that's really scary to have a lot of money involved and you've got a board that is being petty. I mean, I've been on boards they've been fractured, but I can honestly say I never have seen it be to where, 'let's just cut off our nose to spite our face.' We can't do that, we've got to keep moving forward."
Following public comment, the council moved on to the first item on the agenda, accepting the resignation of Debra Pate Smith which Wolfe read aloud. A motion was carried to accept her resignation with Wolfe, Grace and Baker all in favor of her resignation leaving Allen and Ramsey voting against.
Appointment of a new mayor was the next item on the agenda, which Baker made a motion to appoint Wolfe as mayor and a second by Grace. Wolfe declined and said he has no desire to be mayor of Timpson, "I've served on the city council for I guess about 35 years. I teach school, I'm in my 46th year teaching school. I never did feel like that I could be an effective mayor in the city of Timpson or any other city as long as I taught school. I did run for mayor one time back in the late 90s, I don't remember what year it was, but I got beat nine votes. Probably was better for the town that I got beat, and I've just run for council since then."
Wolfe then introduced Marvin Jackson as an individual who has run for mayor in the past, and who has a desire to be mayor. Jackson happened to be present for the meeting when Wolfe made a motion to appoint him mayor and asked if he would accept, which Jackson confirmed. Leslie Leathers, City Secretary, protested and stated she believed the appointed mayor has to be a current member of the council which Wolfe disagreed. Regardless of Leathers statement, Grace followed up with his own motion to accept Jackson as the Timpson mayor until the May election. Allen then asked if the council is clear that it's actually possible to appoint an individual not already serving on the council and Wolfe stated he did not check with the Texas Municipal League (TML) about it on that day and he asked Leathers why she thought that was the situation. Leathers and Smith both stated they had read in TML documentation the appointed mayor has to be a current council member.
Once it was confirmed, not being a member of the council, Jackson could not be considered for the position of mayor, Wolfe quickly accepted the appointment, "I will serve until May, but I don't feel like I can have the time to be a full-time mayor, but if that's what the council wants you probably need to do that again."
Joworski Chimney inquired from the audience, "So why don't you give it to somebody that can act as full-time mayor if you can't do it? Why waste time?"
Chimney was silenced by Grace and Wolfe who said he was not on the agenda and the meeting would be orderly. Allen made a motion to appoint Grace as mayor which Grace declined and stated he appoints Wolfe, which was seconded by Baker. When put to vote Grace, Baker and Wolfe were all in favor and Ramsey and Allen were opposed.
Mayor pro tem was the next agenda item to be addressed. Allen made a motion to nominate George Grace mayor pro tem, seconded by Ramsey with all members in favor of the nomination and the motion carried.
The vacant council seat left open by Wolfe's appointment to mayor was the next agenda item up for consideration and Wolfe stated he felt the position should be left open until the May election with only four meetings expected in the interim. Allen questioned why when Wolfe wanted to appoint a mayor he didn't want to appoint someone to the council seat. Allen's question went unanswered.
Ramsey suggested appointing Kenny Walker to the position since he was the next in line behind Grace at the last election in 2015.
Wolfe asked, "Well if we gonna do that, why couldn't we appoint a mayor from outside in the community?" To which Allen answered, "Because, that's against the rules and this isn't."
Wolfe then made a motion to leave it like it is until the next election. Allen reminded Wolfe, "You can't make a motion, you're mayor." Which was met by laughter and applause from the audience.
"Now listen, if we can't have an orderly meeting here, your applause is not permitted here. I want you to be quiet and I'm asking you that one time," said Wolfe
Baker then reiterated Wolfe's earlier motion, which was seconded by Grace. Allen then asked during the motion, "Why would we have wanted to appoint a mayor, but now all of a sudden we don't want to appoint another council member? I mean right now it's two-two with a tie-break with the mayor. Why not appoint another council member so that you're not force breaking the ties and that way you can actually serve as mayor, which is y'know what you just agreed to do?"
Wolfe ignored the question and instead went to the rest of the council with any further questions. Allen asked if anyone can tell him why it isn't a good idea and remarked he can never get anyone to look at or speak to him. Wolfe then turned to Allen and stared him down saying, "I decline to comment, I don't have to answer the question."
The discussion continued with Allen asking why someone could not be put in the position and Ramsey was reminded by the audience she had made a motion for Kenny Walker to be appointed and she asked Allen if he didn't second her motion. Before Allen could respond Grace stated "He wouldn't second, it died. I can tell you, it died. It was not seconded, so the motion died."
Wolfe then called for all in favor of leaving the seat open Baker and Grace voted in favor, Ramsey and Allen voted against and Wolfe broke the tie in favor of leaving the seat open.
A resolution of authority for all Austin Bank Accounts, removing Mayor Debra Pate Smith and adding the new Mayor Ronnie Wolfe and Mayor Pro Tem George Grace was the final agenda item up for approval. A motion was made by Grace in favor of the resolution with a second by Baker. When put to a vote Allen and Ramsey voted against the resolution and as a final demonstration of the power gained by the absence of Smith, Wolfe broke the tie again and carried the motion.
The meeting was adjourned at 5:54pm.
