GOULD – Mayor Earnest Nash Jr. claimed that three aldermen who did not attend Tuesday’s monthly city council meeting are holding back improvements in the Lincoln County town and thwarting growth.
After declaring that he could not convene the council meeting for lack of a quorum, Nash questioned the motives of Aldermen Sonja Farley, Roseanna Smith-Lee and Veronica Tensley and said the city is unable to pay its bills because of their failure to cooperate with him. Nash spoke for almost 50 minutes.
Nash also proclaimed he is innocent of the criminal charges he faces in Lincoln County Circuit and District courts.
Prosecuting Attorney Kyle Hunter charged Nash with obstructing governmental operations, theft of property, abuse of office and two counts of nonfeasance in office. Two of the charges were lodged after an Arkansas State Police investigation into actions allegedly taken by Nash when he was serving as clerk of the Gould City Court before assuming the office of mayor.
Two assault charges were lodged by City Recorder-treasurer Pamela Barley-Gibson and former Alderman Harry Hall. Barley-Gibson, who was hospitalized at Dumas for treatment of bronchitis, did not attend Tuesday’s meeting. Hall resigned from the council last month.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Barley-Gibson has repeatedly claimed Nash has refused to allow her to enter the recorder-treasurer’s City Hall office has blocked her efforts to carry out her duties since she was appointed to the office by the council.
Nash said Aldermen Ermer Preston and Essie Mae Cableton had been falsely accused of being his allies on the council, noting they sometimes disagree with him but are willing to compromise for the benefit of the municipality.
He told a number of individuals at City Hall that he hopes to stabilize the city’s finances, sayings bills and employees had not been paid for months because of the manner in which Barley-Gibson and Hall reorganized the city’s bank accounts.
“I don’t know where the money is,” he said, adding that Simmons First National Bank has refused to give him access to the accounts. “Virtually, I am locked out of the city accounts.”
In 2009-2010 the city’s bills were being paid after bankruptcy, Nash said.
“We got the IRS to walk away from $300,000,” he said. “You figure out when things started to go bad.”
The council must learn to legislate, not administer, Nash added, explaining that he is the city’s chief executive.
Municipal bills have not been paid for five months, Nash maintained, including the city’s membership in the Arkansas Municipal League, but he hears from the bill collectors.
Nash said U.S. 65 has been widened and improved through the town, with businesses wanting to move in and individuals wanting to build houses, but lack of cooperation has hampered growth.
Because of the lack of access to city funds, Nash said he traded tires from his personal truck for repairs to the city’s mower and obtained donations for other improvements.
Efforts to clean up the city will be discussed at a meeting on Tuesday, he said, and bids will be opened Thursday for sewer improvements to be paid with grant monies.