Coffeeville Board Rejects Payment For Unauthorized Pavement Of Mayor’s Street, Others
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By: Brad Ayers
A majority of the Coffeeville Board of Aldermen is raising concerns with the decision of Mayor William Shelton to use more than $40,000 in unauthorized funds to pave not only the street where the mayor lives, but parts of neighboring streets, as well. At the August monthly meeting of the Board, Aldermen Brad Ayers, Sonya Murray, and Eddie Brewer, voted to reject a claim of $110,000 payable to Phillips Contracting of Columbus because the amount included $46,000 for streets Shelton directed to be paved on his own authority, without authorization from the Board. Minutes show the Board previously authorized repaving of Davis Street next to Coffeeville Elementary School but never the other three streets. Shelton admitted during the Tuesday night Board meeting that he acted on his own to have the unauthorized streets paved. Vice Mayor Reggie Nicholson was also aware of the plan to pave the unauthorized streets, having visited the sites earlier in July with an official from Phillips Contracting and Shelton. The mayor clearly acted outside of his authority by spending $46,000 without Board approval on streets the Board had not authorized for overlay. The mayor acted on his own to spend $24,000 to have his own cul-de-sac and street paved. As usual, he tried to mislead the Board on Tuesday night stating that it was only $11,000. There’s no way that’s true if you look at the amount of overlay performed. Phillips Contracting has documented in writing since the Tuesday Board meeting that the company used 150 tons of asphalt on Vaughn Street where the mayor lives. At $160.00 per ton, that’s $24,000. He also acted outside the authorization of the Board, with the full support of Mayor Pro Tempore Reggie Nicholson, to spend $22,000 more on nearby streets. Mr. Nicholson even offered a Motion to Approve the claim on Tuesday night, along with all the other monthly claims, but it was not seconded. We did not approve spending this additional $46,000 and we’re not going to pay it. I believe the mayor and Mr. Nicholson should have to pay this money, themselves. It should not come out of the very limited funds we have available in our small town. Nearly every street is riddled with potholes and this money could have patched a whole lot of them. Members of the Board of Aldermen contacted the State Auditor’s office on Tuesday but have not yet gotten a response. They are also planning outreach to the office of Attorney General Lynn Fitch.