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Saturday
March 20, 2010 Since 1922 |
Mayor faces allegations in Old River-Winfree
By Ken Fountain
Baytown Sun Published August 1, 2006 Mayor Joe Landry adamantly refused to resign amid allegations he inappropriately helped his daughter order a computer through the city during a highly charged City Council meeting Monday.
Landry, who has been mayor of the small West Chambers County township for most of the past decade, struck a defiant tone during the specially-called standing-room-only meeting in the city’s community building.
He denied knowledge of the purchase of a Dell computer and monitors for his adult daughter, Stephanie, saying it was an arrangement made between her and the city’s former secretary, Jackie Franklin, who was terminated earlier this year.
In the meeting’s first order of business, the four Council members present unanimously voted to rescind an earlier vote to pay the bill for the equipment. Council members Jerren Young and Gay Young (his mother) explained that the city could not legally pay for equipment not intended for city purposes. One of the purchased monitors has still not been located, Gay Young said.
The agenda next called for an executive session, but Landry unilaterally declared there would be no executive session, as he wanted any allegations to be made in open session.
Jerren Young began to proffer documents, including Dell invoices, which he said would substantiate the allegations. But Melvin Lampley, a Houston attorney hired by Landry, immediately objected, saying that Landry was being put in the “awkward position” of having to publicly answer allegations before any criminal charges have been brought forward.
Jerren Young replied that he and other Council members had met with Landry over the past two months to offer him three options to resolve the situation without having to file charges.
But, he said, a decision to seek an investigation by the Chambers County Sheriff’s Office had to “emanate” from a vote by Council.
“We are a City Council made up of volunteers, we are not detectives. The whole matter should be turned over to them, and wherever the chips fall, the chips fall,” he said.
Landry retorted that Council members had evidently done their own investigation already. He said he had acknowledged requisitioning a computer for his mayor’s office,but never admitted to approving the purchase of a computer for his daughter.
“I’m not going to resign, and you don’t have the authority to revoke my position tonight,” he said.
Jerren Young made a motion to turn over the matter to the Sheriff’s Office, seconded by Gay Young. The motion passed unanimously.
The meeting then took a shift, as Landry went on the counterattack by questioning what he said was the improper interference by the Youngs and Council member Adonna Creel in the selection of a substitute city secretary.
Landry said he had called Robin Herd to fill in for current secretary Linda Murphy during a week in July because Murphy had not already chosen one. Later, he said, the three Council members backed Murphy when she “was going to pull rank” by saying she wasn’t comfortable having Herd in the role since she had been trained by Jackie Franklin, the former secretary.
Landry said the Council members had no right to question his decision, since city policy allows the secretary to chose a substitute with the mayor’s approval. He demanded the three Council members admit they should not have done so.
They refused, however, saying that while they were not judging Herd’s character, they were concerned that she had been trained by Franklin, whom they said left the city’s affairs in a shambles during her tenure.
Landry, however, countered that Herd had in fact originally been trained by Murphy several years before. Murphy said she could not recall having trained Herd.
After that discussion ended with no action, Landry called for a public comment period, although there was none listed on the agenda. Landry, who is black, called on Jerome Walton, a representative of the Houston-based New Black Panther Organization, to speak.
Walton, accompanied by two uniformed members of the organization, addressed Council members, saying that no city funds had been used to purchase the equipment in question.
Jerren Young countered that the city had received invoices for the equipment, but could not pay them because it was illegal.
Undeterred, Walton said, “We would hope that, in the name of God, some sort of resolution can be found.”
He said he hoped the Council was not embarking on a “senseless witch hunt” against Landry, adding that New Black Panther Organization spokesman Quannell X has offered to meet with the city’s black residents and is “willing to help organize.”
Jerren Young told him Council had tried for months to find a resolution with Landry, to no avail.
Walton then said he and the other members of the organization were there to make sure allegations against Landry were not being made because he is black.
“No, of course not,” countered Gay Young, adding that she has worked with Landry for years and voted for him. Both Jerren Young and Creel agreed.
The discussion among Council continued for some time before the meeting moved on to two unrelated pieces of business. The meeting was adjourned, but the discussion continued among Council members and residents.
Chambers County Sheriff Joe LaRive, who attended the meeting with several deputies, said his office has not yet received any complaint against Landry.
Baytown Sun Published August 1, 2006 Mayor Joe Landry adamantly refused to resign amid allegations he inappropriately helped his daughter order a computer through the city during a highly charged City Council meeting Monday.
Landry, who has been mayor of the small West Chambers County township for most of the past decade, struck a defiant tone during the specially-called standing-room-only meeting in the city’s community building.
He denied knowledge of the purchase of a Dell computer and monitors for his adult daughter, Stephanie, saying it was an arrangement made between her and the city’s former secretary, Jackie Franklin, who was terminated earlier this year.
In the meeting’s first order of business, the four Council members present unanimously voted to rescind an earlier vote to pay the bill for the equipment. Council members Jerren Young and Gay Young (his mother) explained that the city could not legally pay for equipment not intended for city purposes. One of the purchased monitors has still not been located, Gay Young said.
The agenda next called for an executive session, but Landry unilaterally declared there would be no executive session, as he wanted any allegations to be made in open session.
Jerren Young began to proffer documents, including Dell invoices, which he said would substantiate the allegations. But Melvin Lampley, a Houston attorney hired by Landry, immediately objected, saying that Landry was being put in the “awkward position” of having to publicly answer allegations before any criminal charges have been brought forward.
Jerren Young replied that he and other Council members had met with Landry over the past two months to offer him three options to resolve the situation without having to file charges.
But, he said, a decision to seek an investigation by the Chambers County Sheriff’s Office had to “emanate” from a vote by Council.
“We are a City Council made up of volunteers, we are not detectives. The whole matter should be turned over to them, and wherever the chips fall, the chips fall,” he said.
Landry retorted that Council members had evidently done their own investigation already. He said he had acknowledged requisitioning a computer for his mayor’s office,but never admitted to approving the purchase of a computer for his daughter.
“I’m not going to resign, and you don’t have the authority to revoke my position tonight,” he said.
Jerren Young made a motion to turn over the matter to the Sheriff’s Office, seconded by Gay Young. The motion passed unanimously.
The meeting then took a shift, as Landry went on the counterattack by questioning what he said was the improper interference by the Youngs and Council member Adonna Creel in the selection of a substitute city secretary.
Landry said he had called Robin Herd to fill in for current secretary Linda Murphy during a week in July because Murphy had not already chosen one. Later, he said, the three Council members backed Murphy when she “was going to pull rank” by saying she wasn’t comfortable having Herd in the role since she had been trained by Jackie Franklin, the former secretary.
Landry said the Council members had no right to question his decision, since city policy allows the secretary to chose a substitute with the mayor’s approval. He demanded the three Council members admit they should not have done so.
They refused, however, saying that while they were not judging Herd’s character, they were concerned that she had been trained by Franklin, whom they said left the city’s affairs in a shambles during her tenure.
Landry, however, countered that Herd had in fact originally been trained by Murphy several years before. Murphy said she could not recall having trained Herd.
After that discussion ended with no action, Landry called for a public comment period, although there was none listed on the agenda. Landry, who is black, called on Jerome Walton, a representative of the Houston-based New Black Panther Organization, to speak.
Walton, accompanied by two uniformed members of the organization, addressed Council members, saying that no city funds had been used to purchase the equipment in question.
Jerren Young countered that the city had received invoices for the equipment, but could not pay them because it was illegal.
Undeterred, Walton said, “We would hope that, in the name of God, some sort of resolution can be found.”
He said he hoped the Council was not embarking on a “senseless witch hunt” against Landry, adding that New Black Panther Organization spokesman Quannell X has offered to meet with the city’s black residents and is “willing to help organize.”
Jerren Young told him Council had tried for months to find a resolution with Landry, to no avail.
Walton then said he and the other members of the organization were there to make sure allegations against Landry were not being made because he is black.
“No, of course not,” countered Gay Young, adding that she has worked with Landry for years and voted for him. Both Jerren Young and Creel agreed.
The discussion among Council continued for some time before the meeting moved on to two unrelated pieces of business. The meeting was adjourned, but the discussion continued among Council members and residents.
Chambers County Sheriff Joe LaRive, who attended the meeting with several deputies, said his office has not yet received any complaint against Landry.