City Meeting Rescheduled After No-Shows
When the clock struck 6:30 p.m., last Tuesday, Alderman-at-Large Lance Clement and Mayor Bill Norris were the only elected officials seated and ready for the meeting.
Reporter
WATER VALLEY – City employees will have to wait until Friday to learn how much of a promised pay raise they will be receiving. Lack of a quorum cancelled the regular monthly city board meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 6.
A meeting had been rescheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 13, but the rescheduled meeting had to again be rescheduled until Friday at 2 p.m. Sickness and funeral visitations were cited as the conflict for meeting Tuesday night.
The pay raise, which had been promised to city employees at their Christmas party last month, was just one of several agenda items that the board was scheduled to tackle. However, at least three of the five aldermen must be present to vote.
The only alderman seated before the 6:30 start time was Alderman-at-Large Lance Clement.
“We do not have a quorum as yet,” Mayor Bill Norris announced just after 6:30. “We’ll give a few more minutes to see if anybody comes in to make up a quorum.”
At 6:33 Alderman Charlie Harris arrived. A few minutes later the mayor said, “I don’t know what the procedure is on how long to wait.”
“I don’t think there is one,” Board Attorney David Burns responded.
“Since we do not have a quorum,” the mayor said at 6:38, “we’ll call for a special meeting next Tuesday at 6:30.
According to city officials, Alderman Tommy Swearengen, who has been ill, had already said he would not be attending and Alderman Sherry Martin had an illness in her family.
As the meeting broke up, Alderman Fred White arrived and was standing outside city hall at approximately 6:45.
