Corsicana Council Speaks Up; Citizens want More Transparency

By Susan Wilson, Special Reporter for the NavCo Chronicle

Concerned citizens on the topic of city management and government were once again in Council Chambers this week to stress their concerns for what they say is a lack of transparency, under-represented population of the city, lack of decorum on the council, and a throughline message of elected and appointed individuals not listening to their constituents. About a dozen people delivered their messages.
Sentiments were similar, moving one speaker, Kimberlee Walter, commenting that “it was as if they had all gotten together to write the speeches, but they had not.”
Council Precinct 4 Jeff Smith stepped away from his microphone, faced the audience, and delivered a passionate and personal message. He said, “I have a few things to say about our city manager situation, and recent comments made me think about why I ran in the beginning. There was a topic that many people were against including me, and only a handful, were in favor of. It made me realize that these people speaking are feeling the way we felt back then – that the council is not listening.”
He then delivered a single sentence which has become the public’s loudest need: “I am listening.”
Smith went on to clearly state, “I am speaking for myself, and I am going to push for an interim manager for a period of three months up to a year from outside of the city. I would love to see John Boswell (current Economic Development Director) stay where he is at this time.” Smith praised current city manager Connie Standridge for her two decades of leadership, saying that although he is for a “clean break”, he said he feels the progress and growth of Corsicana is better than any city of this size outside of a metro area.
Before Smith spoke about his concern for civility, he applauded Barbara Kelley’s recent comments at the council, saying that she is one of the classiest people he has met here in a long time, and he appreciated her comments. (At the last council meeting, Kelley reminded everyone that we are a community, and all are important.)
“When did it become OK, when you don’t get your way, if you are against whatever is happening, to spew lies and hatred against people you don’t know personally, and haven’t even met?” he asked, reminding listeners that social media has emboldened this behavior.
Terry Garner of Corsicana spoke about the importance of following Parliamentarian procedure in order to maintain transparency and fairness. He reviewed the current situation surrounding the search for a new city manager, said people demand to start the search over, and of greater importance, he spoke to Mayor Fletcher directly, saying, “Your actions are questionable at best. You voted against the will of the people at the last city council meeting.” Garner went on to point out that the job of mayor, for Fletcher, “may be more than you bargained for. We the people ask that you step down tonight to restore decorum on the council.”
Former Mayors Don Denbow and C.L. Buster Brown spoke in favor of John Boswell’s appointment as city manager, citing his accomplishments, but also reiterating Connie Standridge’s abilities, attributes and accomplishments over the years. Brown stated for the record that Boswell is extremely qualified, reviewed once again the selection process, saying that the committee voted with only one ‘no’ vote. He said, “I see no need to replough that field again.”
While Mayor Fletcher, Don Denbow and Buster Brown all mentioned the selection committee, and city blog and social media state that a committee was formed by a cross-section of the community to review and evaluate applicants, speakers touched on the anonymity of this committee, with Monica Vickery asking to know the committee member names, who interviewed the applicants and the questions they asked and that constituents would like to see the resumes and also John Boswell’s, to make comparisons. (Another speaker, Alexa Neuendorff, stated that no one from Precinct 2 was on the committee.)
Buster Brown continued with a statement that “anyone who believes that Connie Standridge did not do a marvelous job as city manager for the last 20 years is smoking an illegal brand of cigarettes.”
He recalled a comment from former City Attorney Terry Jacobson, who coined a phrase that Brown felt was appropriate to recall, “C.A.V.E. – Citizens Against Virtually Everything. We always have one or two of those and we seem to have an excess at this time. Confirm John Boswell and let’s move forward.”
Jackie Sawicky said that it is offensive to call people CAVE people, and “how patronizing it is to say how dare you raise your voice and have a say about how your city runs things.” She compared the growth of Ennis and Corsicana, stating Corsicana has no up-to-date comprehensive city plan, which has everything to do with the leadership of this city.” She felt the city wants to simply “continue the status quo, uphold the good ol’ boy club and lie to your constituents, everything’s great, you’ve done a good job.”
Citizen Joe Brooks told the audience that “Jeff Smith stole my thunder, because my first word was LISTEN. We all have to listen to what people have to say.”
Kimberlee Walter said her speech was titled “Mediocracy” and said, “you cannot expect disenfranchised people that have tried to do the right thing the right way to take hands with their oppressors and skip down the road singing ‘Kumbaya”. She called Standridge’s term as a legacy without integrity.
City Attorney Kerri Anderson Donica explained the process regarding motions which are tabled and not put back on the agenda, citing Roberts Rules of Order, and Precinct 3 Council Chris Woolsey added additional reasoning why the the topic was not added back to the agenda.
Alexa Neuendorff appeared in an emotional plea, discussing racial concerns, after a clear message to Mayor Fletcher in a recent letter to the editor.
The council moved on to public hearings on various topics. The next meeting is Monday, July 29 at 6 p.m. in the City Council chambers.

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