The Nerve, Holding Elected Officials Accountable

The board of aldermen of the City of Lumberton don't understand why people are criticizing them. Dude. Maybe if you could reduce the number of city government screw ups from three per week down to just one or two, that would help a little. I was thinking about the events at city hall over the weekend, and I just have a hard time dealing with the fact that they just don't get it. For instance, during the budget meeting, Alderman Kent Crider kept saying that we [the Board of Aldermen] should fire Sharese Pearson. Po' thang. He really don't have a clue. Did he know that you could not terminate an employee once an EEOC charge has been filed. In doing so, would show that you are operating in retailation, which would not be good for your [the City of Lumberton] case. He went on for quite some time before the city clerk informed him and the rest of the board that they should not discuss this in an open meeting since it was dealing with a legal matter. Now, here we have an elected official that don't have the wherewithal to know the laws governing a code charter municipality. Sadly, this is just the tip of the iceberg. I could write volumes about what this current board of aldermen don't know, but on a sadder note, they don't want to know the laws governing a code-charter municipality. So, I began to wonder, who is supposed to pull the coat tails of our aldermen when they are operating outside of the laws of the State of Mississippi. There have been several instances where they have not followed the law, so who is supposed to keep them in check when they are operating without a clue. Is this the responsiblity of the city clerk or is this the responsiblity of the city attorney? Every time they partake in an action that is not in accordance with the law, they are putting their bonds in jeopardy. Unfortunately, it seems that some aldermen's bonds will need to be revoked in order for them to realize the seriousness of their actions. I know the mayor is fully aware of the laws governing a code charter municipality, but we all know that "they" are not willing to listen to any advice she has to offer. In order for our city officals to remain accountable to the public that elected them to serve, the citizens of Lumberton must take ownership. We have to get involved, stay involved and stay informed. We must hold our leaders accountable for our and our children's future.