Greenland Mayor Says Aldermen Holding Illegal Meetings
Prosecutor Asked To Investigate
Last updated Tuesday, June 10, 2008 7:27 PM CDT in News
By Bob Caudle
The Morning News
The Morning News asked Washington County Prosecuting Attorney John Threet on Tuesday to investigate actions of the Greenland City Council during Monday night's meeting.
Greenland aldermen went into executive session to discuss the resignation of the mayor, which may have violated the state Freedom of Information Act, because the mayor hadn't offered a resignation.
An Attorney General's opinion, 2000-132, dealing with a Quorum Court and states that " ... The quorum court typically does not employ, appoint, promote, demote, discipline, or dismiss any elected officials ..."
Likewise, a city council cannot hire, fire, demote, promote nor discipline a mayor. The mayor also is not considered an employee of the city, but is an elected official.
Threet said his office usually doesn't handle misdemeanors within a city.
"In other words, if the complaint happened in Springdale, you'd go to Springdale's prosecutor," Threet said. "In this case, though, Danny Wright feels there would be a conflict of interest."
Wright is the prosecuting attorney for Greenland. He also serves as city attorney and ignored objections by the media Monday night when the board went into executive session.
"Technically, we have countywide jurisdiction," Threet explained. "But we don't do that. Most of the time cities with prosecutors handle their own misdemeanors. Obviously, this is different."
Mayor John Gray points out, in a prepared statement given to the media Monday night, the council may have violated the other elements of the Freedom of Information Act with other actions.
"There have been eight meetings, work sessions, held with one or more council members present," Gray wrote in a prepared statement. "These are required to be announced to the press. They were not. Long meetings of council members in the parking lot after regular meetings have been held without press.
"Such meetings, at which public business is discussed are illegal according to the Municipal League manual. There may have been outside coordination of votes, by phone or by courier, indicated by rapid and unified votes or approvals of proposed nominees to vacant slots on the council," the statement continued.
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