Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Mayor, Council refuse to answer questions

Problems have still not been solved with the Okolona City Council.

Wednesday, January 2, was the city's first meeting of 2002. The meeting was called to order at 6 p.m.

A concerned Okolona resident stood and asked to address the mayor in hopes of getting a few answers to some pressing questions.

The citizen passed out a copy of all the questions to those attending the meeting. Question number one was, "What form of town council is it when members of the council sit with their backs to the citizens who elected them?"

Mayor Joy McElhannon said, "I'm not answering that."

Question number two was, "Why are water bill checks being held up to five months before they are deposited, when they could be deposited promptly in a interest bearing account?"

Mayor McElhannon said, "They are not. This has not been a problem since May. We make deposits once and sometimes twice a month now."

However, several residents hold bank statements that show differently. Several residents have checks that still have not cleared.

Number three on the list of questions was, "Why was the town recorder/treasurer and water clerk, Kim McKay, and her husband, councilman, Chris McKay, allowed to accumulate a water bill in excess of $753, when other residents have had their water turned off if late one month? Has this bill been paid? Did they pay a reconnecting fee for each month that they were pass due?"

Unsurprisingly, Mayor McElhannon had no response to the question.

When question number four was asked, "Why was the mayor and town council in their capacity as elected officials, not able to supervise the town recorder/treasurer and water clerk?", the mayor again had no answer.

With two questions remaining the concerned citizen asked the mayor, "Are you going to answer any of my questions?" Mayor McElhannon answered hastily, "No I am not. I don't have to and I don't want to." Council member Katherine McCauley then backed the statement up with, "I don't see where these things are any of her business anyway."

The citizen quietly sat down as another Okolona city man stood to address the council.

Apparently when the water lines were lain the city had asked permission to cross some citizens property with promises of repairing the land when finished.

However, this particular citizen has still not had his property fixed. The man said, "Members of the council and Bill Wright said the property would be straightened out. The land has never been fixed. When we were in court over this incident the court was told the land would be fixed. My land has not been fixed, my fence has not been fixed, my cedar trees have not been set out yet and the curb is damaged. What do you plan to do about his now mayor?"

McElhannon said, "I don't know what to tell you. When the county has time they will fix it."

The man then proceeded to ask the council when it thought the streets located across the railroad tracks might be patched.

McElhannon said, "We have no money in the street fund. We are barely able to turn on the street lights."

The man then said, " The streets are in terrible shape. Why were the streets across the tracks started on and then left unfinished when they crew moved across the tracks to completely finish your streets?"

"Yes, I know streets are in bad shape but, the town does not have any money and the county should do it."

A motion was then made to adjourn the meeting after just nine minutes.