Council request generates debate

The Enterprise City Council did vote to pay the city’s bills but only after a half hour of sometimes heated discussion during a work session that preceded the May 2 council voting meeting.

Review of the order of business for the city council voting meetings, which follow the council work sessions on the first and third Tuesday of each month, is part of the routine.

It was when then council president William “Bill” Cooper said that authorizing the payment of bills in the amount of $775,130.20 was on the voting meeting agenda that the discussion began.

Councilman Turner Townsend asked then-Mayor Kenneth Boswell why the council did not receive the list of accounts payable for review prior to the work sessions. “We’re about to approve $775,000 worth of accounts payable and I have not had the benefit of reviewing any of this,” Townsend said. “Is this (vote) just a mere formality?”

“In response to that statement, as the executive branch, we put it before you and there is a certain amount of trust but if you would like to come down here and review everything, we’re happy to do that,” Boswell said.

“No, what I would like is for (accounts payable) to be in our council packets,” Townsend said.

“It is right in there in that cabinet box,” Boswell said, pointing to an adjoining room.

“Ken, I would like this to be emailed in our council packets,” Townsend replied.” Do we need to pass a resolution or what?”

“I don’t mean for you to take this as adversarial,” Councilman Perry Vickers said.

“I am not taking anything adversarial,” Boswell replied.

“Well hold on, let me finish,” Vickers replied. “Can you make….”

“You’d better watch your step,” Boswell interrupted, pointing at Vickers.

“No sir, I was going to say I don’t want you to take this as adversarial, but in a business—and this is a business—I’d like to see a monthly financial statement or account balances included when we get the…”

“The law so states that you can get (financial statements) twice per year but you can get anything down here anytime,” Boswell interjected.

“We’re supposed to get (financial statements) in writing twice per year,” Townsend said. “So, we’re at our six month mark now.”

“Yes we are, but we are drinking out of a fire hose down here,” Boswell replied.

“March 31 was actually the six month mark of our fiscal year,” Townsend continued.

“And you are putting us through so many hoops and loops down here that we are trying to stay …”, Boswell said before Townsend interjected, “I disagree with that.”

“Well we will agree to disagree,” Boswell replied.

“Mayor, the last time I asked (for financial statements) I was told it would be the end of April,” Vickers said. “And then the other day Danielle (Jackson, the interim city treasurer) said the mayor said ‘June.’”

“You also asked for this and you asked for stumps being grinded, everything else and we’re working at a pace that we’re going to try to get it done for you,” Boswell said.

“Mayor, a simple one page financial statement with account balances, income statement and expenditures. That is a one-button push on an accounting system. In my business and the church I’m involved in and the association boards I’m on, we get financial statements on a regular basis,” Townsend said.” I don’t know any more about the city’s finances today than the first day I took office.”

“Mr. Townsend. You. Will. Get. It.” Boswell replied. “I’m not going to argue with you. You will get what you requested.”

“Well, I’m not going to approve these accounts payable,” Townsend replied. “l suggest we table them, vote on them in two weeks. I just got this 10 minutes ago,” he added pointing to the list of accounts payable. “I’m going to move that we do that.”

“And I am going to second it,” said Vickers.

“The council is charged with the purse strings of the city,” Townsend added. “It is not too much to ask to get a monthly report.”

“Fine, you’re the legislative body,” Boswell replied, pushing his chair away from the conference table.

City of Enterprise Attorney Rainer Cotter asked if the council would consider approving the accounts payable that night with the understanding that from that point forward, they would be provided with the financial information requested. “And we will make sure, going forward, that the (requested financial information) will get to you before the council meeting,” Cotter said.

Cotter asked the council to consider reviewing the billing during the time remaining prior to the council meeting. “And next time we’ll get it to you before the council meeting,” Cotter said.

“I’m taking this (council) job seriously and for six months I do not feel like I’ve done my job,” Townsend said. “I’m drawing a line in the sand. I want to be able to review this before I approve it.”

“Do you think you’d have time to look at it before the voting session with the assurances that there is the money there to pay it and from this moment going forth you get this before the council meeting date?” Cotter asked again. “I totally understand and agree with the fact that you need to get whatever financial information that you need to get, from a financial standpoint that is part of your job. I agree with that.”

“That goes back to my comment that I did not want to come across as adversarial,” Vickers said. “But I would like to know what our balances are.”

“I don’t think that is unreasonable and if Beverly (Sweeney, interim city clerk) can give assurances that you are on sound ground and able to pay the bills,” Cotter said, again asking the council to consider approving payment of the bills due to the time-sensitive nature of the payments.

“At what point are we going to start getting what we are asking for?” Townsend asked.

“To my knowledge, you haven’t asked me for anything,” Boswell replied. ”You’ve asked Danielle (Jackson). To my knowledge this is the first time you have asked me for anything in reference to this. You have not asked me, you have asked Danielle.”


Vickers reminded Boswell that Jackson had been sitting next to the mayor when Vickers had asked for the financials but Boswell reiterated that this was the first time he had been asked directly. “When you’ve asked for something, I think I have given proof of evidence that when you’ve asked for it, I’ve responded,” Boswell said. “But this is my first direct request from you for that and I have told you that you would get it. I’ll say this respectfully, I don’t remember you asking me directly for anything and as far as I’m concerned this is the first I’ve heard tonight that you wanted to review the accounts payable.”

“What I would like to request is a monthly financial…” Vickers said.

“You will have it, Mr. Vickers,” Boswell replied.

‘”Let me finish,” Vickers continued, asking if the council could receive the financial statements by the Friday or at latest, the Monday, preceding the council meetings.

At the voting meeting that followed, the council voted unanimously to approve the accounts payable with the condition that they would be provided future financial information preceding the Tuesday meetings.

The next meeting of the Enterprise City Council is Tuesday, May 16. A work session begins at 5 p.m. in the mayor’s conference room. The voting meeting is at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at city hall. Both meetings are open to the public.