Sunday, March 4, 2018

Dispatches from Pelahatchie

The Pelahatchie Board of Aldermen took care of bidness at a Saturday morning meeting last weekend.  They cut the Mayor's pay by 3/4, approved the claims docket, and overrode several of Mayor Ryshonda Beechem's vetoes  that took place earlier in February. 







The Board of Aldermen overrode the following vetoes from the February 5 meeting at the meeting held on February 17:

*The Board voted "to deny payment to J. Scott Williams Architecture, PLLC past due invoice" for $8,126 from the drug seizure fund but approved a payment from the general fund.  The vote was unanimous.  Mayor Beechem stated in her veto:

"In light of the State Auditor's investigation, I submit a general vote of "no confidence" in this Board and its financial dealings.  Furthermore, the Baord and the City Clerks have failed or refused to provide my office with releveant information regarding town expenditures and information needed to make an informed decision with regard to these expenditures...." (See below for letter). 

The Board said at the February 5 meeting that it was not going to spend any of the drug seizure funds until the State Auditor completed his investigation and issued his findings. 

*The Board voted unanimously to reject a proposal to purchase additional security cameras for City Hall.  The proposal included a camera for the Mayor's office.  Question: How can a Mayor veto a rejection and how can a Board override a veto of said rejection?

* The old "new business" v. agenda fight.  This argument is common to governments throughout Mississippi.  Some politicians wants to limit discussion items to those placed on an agenda so citizens can have notice of what will be discussed by their representatives.  Others prefer to have the flexibility to discuss any issue they desire at such meetings.  Mayor Beechem wanted all discussion items placed on the agenda but the Aldermen preferred to be able to bring up any issues they deemed worthy of attention without notice to the public.  The Alderman overrode her veto. 

*The Aldermen upheld her veto of a proposed cellphone ban. The Board voted at the February 5 meeting to ban cellphones from all Board of Aldermen public meetings. However, Mayor Beechem vetoed the measure.   Yours truly had a friendly conversation (no sarcasm) with the city attorney and informed him that banning cellphone video cameras from public meetings might violate the Open Meetings Act.  He spoke to Tom Hood, Executive Director of the Mississippi Ethics Commission, and requested an A.G. opinion.  The Board did not override the veto. 

It is the opinion of this website that the town can impose more narrow restrictions such as requiring cellphones to be placed on silent  during Board meetings instead of banning them outright. 

*The Board did not override the Mayor's veto of hiring a new city clerk. 

*The Board overrode her veto of the claims docket. 

*Aldermen reduced Mayor's salary from $1,000 per month to $250 per month and Aldermen's salaries from $500 to $250 per month.  The Mayor vetoed the pay cut, calling it "pretextual, arbitrary, unnecessary, politically motivated."  The Board overrode her veto. 

The next meeting of the Board of Aldermen is scheduled to take place tomorrow night at 7:00 PM.  It is not known if a steel cage will be place in the board room nor if there will be a time limit although the loser might have to leave town. 

Mayor Beechem posted her vetoes on her Facebook page: 











The Mayor also posted the minutes of the February 5 meeting on her Facebook page.





Oh yes, one reader said that JJ got it wrong when it came to the recently-retired city clerk's salary.  The reader made this comment:

Hey Kingfisher, how about you do the right thing and correct yourself. You got the city clerks salary wrong, not once but twice! Betty did not make $100,000 a year nor $80,000 a year. Get your facts right or quit trying to be a reporter. I’m sure she started at a predetermined salary and received percentage raises each year. After over a quarter of a century of course it’s going to go up. You still have toothless old women wearing nasty pajamas and wore out tee shirts, not to mention their uneducated brain, blabbing about the $100 thousand dollars you prematurely wrote about and never corrected. Get it right or don’t write!

Well, knucklehead, here is a copy of the Pelahatchie roster of employees that was provided in response to a public records request:


However, it shows that the clerk in question was making $82,000.  JJ was informed that this salary did not include benefits. 

Note: It sure would be nice if the town would start posting the agendas, minutes, and public meeting notices on its website as every other city in the Jackson metro area does. 

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

I've ordered more popcorn.

Anonymous said...

It's UNreal that two of these goobs, including the preacher who led the invocation, actually wear ball caps to these meetings. What a lack of decorum!

Anonymous said...

Pelahatchie is a prime example of the government you get when the majority of the citizens don’t care enough to vote for their leadership. It is unfortunate that you have made this bed for yourselves and now you must lie in it. Next time maybe you will get out and vote!

Anonymous said...

But, 10:32, 'they' won't get out and vote. They'll just burrow deeper into their bunkers and go to Lowe's for 10 foot fence boards.

Anonymous said...

10:32, the issue was not just a lack of voter participation. The reason Pelahatchie has an imbecile for its chief executive is because there were three horses in the race. The other two candidates, either of whom would have been light years better, split the majority vote.

Anonymous said...

$82,000 a year for a clerk where the population is less than 2,000 and a deputy clerk at $54,000 is a story in itself. What are the salaries for towns comparable in size? When this came to light they both retired. There is a story there.

Anonymous said...

But, 4:44, it's been said on this blog before....these were honest, upright citizens and way above anything unethical. Accepting a salary that's four times what it ought to be isn't really unethical. Right?

Anonymous said...

Is it just me, or is the window assembly, shown in the cover photo for the YouTube video, set into the wall upside-down and backward?

Anonymous said...

1:16 AM, it's just you. Or its your being up looking at UTUBE at 1 in the morning. Window is installed properly; lower sash inside, upper sash outside. Don't know what you are seeing, but glad you are focusing on the important stuff.

Anonymous said...

Good eye, 1:16!

Yes, those extended STILES are supposed to be pointing DOWNWARD, ON THE OUTSIDE (whether it's for safety, for decoration, or to draw moisture downward, I don't know). Here's an example. Scroll down to 'Sliding Sash Windows' http://www.clearviewhome.co.uk/blog/modern-traditional-replacement-window-style-best-suits-home/2018/01/

As for you, 11:56, it's YouTube, not 'UTUBE'. And don't YOU have anything better to do, than to troll the Internet, looking for people to attack?

Anonymous said...

I saw you at the board meeting Monday 3/5/18 and I also saw you corresponding with the Mayors attorney a lot at the meeting so why have you not posted the video is it because it shows a lot of what the mayor has been doing all along and you are part of the plot between her and her attorney to always make things look like poor mayor. Does this show that your are indeed what I have been thinking all along. One sided and was invited by the mayor and her attorney

Anonymous said...

@6:11 AM careful what you wish for LOL.

Kingfish said...

Miles Davis was once playing at the Blackhawk. Some woman in the audience kept yelling for him to play a certain song. He didn't play it and as the night went on, she got louder and louder in her requests until he had her thrown out. Then after she was no longer in the building, he played the song for the audience.

Let's see, 31, I didn't touch a computer until yesterday morning after that meeting Monday night. It takes an hour to download a 12 gb file from my camera to my laptop, sometimes shorter. Then it takes an hour or so to upload to Youtube. Oh, have to scan the board packet as well and since I didn't get a copy of Mr. Barnard's handout, I had to get a copy yesterday. Then there is the already planned schedule of posts and topics as well.

As for your dumbass allegations that I was manipulated by the Mayor's attorney, I will clarify what took place, not that its any of your business. He came up to me and asked me a question about the Open Meetings Act. That was the topic of both discussions. Since you are sooooooooo intent on keeping up with what I do, you also noticed that I spoke to Brad Mills, the City Attorney as well for a while but you somehow failed to mention that fact. Of course, under what passes for logic in your feeble mind, that must mean the City Attorney and the Board of Aldermen were manipulating me as well.

Kingfish said...

In other words, I should withhold from posting the video for at least two weeks but since I know some good people are waiting to see it, I'm going to post it today.

Anonymous said...

Hey staff from city hall just walked off job due to harassment city hall closed emergently sign in window now. Will u cover



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Trollfest '07 was such a success that Jackson Jambalaya will once again host Trollfest '09. Catch this great event which will leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Othor Cain and his band, The Black Power Structure headline the night while Sonjay Poontang returns for an encore performance. Former Frank Melton bodyguard Marcus Wright makes his premier appearance at Trollfest singing "I'm a Sweet Transvestite" from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Kamikaze will sing his new hit, “How I sold out to da Man.” Robbie Bell again performs: “Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be Bells” and “Any friend of Ed Peters is a friend of mine”. After the show, Ms. Bell will autograph copies of her mug shot photos. In a salute to “Dancing with the Stars”, Ms. Bell and Hinds County District Attorney Robert Smith will dance the Wango Tango.

Wrestling returns, except this time it will be a Battle Royal with Othor Cain, Ben Allen, Kim Wade, Haley Fisackerly, Alan Lange, and “Big Cat” Donna Ladd all in the ring at the same time. The Battle Royal will be in a steel cage, no time limit, no referee, and the losers must leave town. Marshand Crisler will be the honorary referee (as it gives him a title without actually having to do anything).


Meet KIM Waaaaaade at the Entergy Tent. For five pesos, Kim will sell you a chance to win a deed to a crack house on Ridgeway Street stuffed in the Howard Industries pinata. Don't worry if the pinata is beaten to shreds, as Mr. Wade has Jose, Emmanuel, and Carlos, all illegal immigrants, available as replacements for the it. Upon leaving the Entergy tent, fig leaves will be available in case Entergy literally takes everything you have as part of its Trollfest ticket price adjustment charge.

Donna Ladd of The Jackson Free Press will give several classes on learning how to write. Smearing, writing without factchecking, and reporting only one side of a story will be covered. A donation to pay their taxes will be accepted and she will be signing copies of their former federal tax liens. Ms. Ladd will give a dramatic reading of her two award-winning essays (They received The Jackson Free Press "Best Of" awards.) "Why everything is always about me" and "Why I cover murders better than anyone else in Jackson".

In the spirit of helping those who are less fortunate, Trollfest '09 adopts a cause for which a portion of the proceeds and donations will be donated: Keeping Frank Melton in his home. The “Keep Frank Melton From Being Homeless” booth will sell chances for five dollars to pin the tail on the jackass. John Reeves has graciously volunteered to be the jackass for this honorable excursion into saving Frank's ass. What's an ass between two friends after all? If Mr. Reeves is unable to um, perform, Speaker Billy McCoy has also volunteered as when the word “jackass” was mentioned he immediately ran as fast as he could to sign up.


In order to help clean up the legal profession, Adam Kilgore of the Mississippi Bar will be giving away free, round-trip plane tickets to the North Pole where they keep their bar complaint forms (which are NOT available online). If you don't want to go to the North Pole, you can enjoy Brant Brantley's (of the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance) free guided tours of the quicksand field over by High Street where all complaints against judges disappear. If for some reason you are unable to control yourself, never fear; Judge Houston Patton will operate his jail where no lawyers are needed or allowed as you just sit there for minutes... hours.... months...years until he decides he is tired of you sitting in his jail. Do not think Judge Patton is a bad judge however as he plans to serve free Mad Dog 20/20 to all inmates.

Trollfest '09 is a pet-friendly event as well. Feel free to bring your dog with you and do not worry if your pet gets hungry, as employees of the Jackson Zoo will be on hand to provide some of their animals as food when it gets to be feeding time for your little loved one.

Relax at the Fox News Tent. Since there are only three blonde reporters in Jackson (being blonde is a requirement for working at Fox News), Megan and Kathryn from WAPT and Wendy from WLBT will be on loan to Fox. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both and a torn-up Obama yard sign will entitle you to free drinks served by Megan, Wendy, and Kathryn. Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required. Just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '09 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.


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Jackson Jambalaya is the home of Trollfest '07. Catch this great event which promises to leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Sonjay Poontang and his band headline the night with a special steel cage, no time limit "loser must leave town" bout between Alan Lange and "Big Cat"Donna Ladd following afterwards. Kamikaze will perform his new song F*** Bush, he's still a _____. Did I mention there was no referee? Dr. Heddy Matthias and Lori Gregory will face off in the undercard dueling with dangling participles and other um, devices. Robbie Bell will perform Her two latest songs: My Best Friends are in the Media and Mama's, Don't Let Your Babies Grow up to be George Bell. Sid Salter of The Clarion-Ledger will host "Pin the Tail on the Trial Lawyer", sponsored by State Farm.

There will be a hugging booth where in exchange for your young son, Frank Melton will give you a loooong hug. Trollfest will have a dunking booth where Muhammed the terrorist will curse you to Allah as you try to hit a target that will drop him into a vat of pig grease. However, in the true spirit of Separate But Equal, Don Imus and someone from NE Jackson will also sit in the dunking booth for an equal amount of time. Tom Head will give a reading for two hours on why he can't figure out who the hell he is. Cliff Cargill will give lessons with his .80 caliber desert eagle, using Frank Melton photos as targets. Tackleberry will be on hand for an autograph session. KIM Waaaaaade will be passing out free titles and deeds to crackhouses formerly owned by The Wood Street Players.

If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.

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