At the White Sulphur Springs City Council meeting on Tuesday evening, Oct. 11, praise for the city was tempered by some criticism of the city’s financial situation and council voting practices in previous meetings.
On a positive note, the Old White Garden Club, the Main Street organization, and town merchants were thanked by council member Mary Collins for their beautification efforts on Main Street.
Main Street has been decorated by those groups with seasonal décor featuring barrels full of organic pumpkins, and baskets of mums have been placed on the bridge at U.S. 60 and Big Draft Road.
Old White Garden Club member Penny Fioravante was on hand at the meeting to announce that her business, Gum Store Studios, is hosting a pumpkin carving party for area children on Saturday, Oct. 22, beginning at 4:30 p.m.
Collins thanked Fioravante personally for her work with the Old White Garden Club in beautifying the city.
Other citizens’ comments directed at council focused on excessive speed on city streets, and concerns about the city’s finances.
Citizen Marie Lewis spoke before the council, stating, “I’m hearing lots of rumors that we’re broke, we’re bankrupt, we don’t have any funds in the coffers, and I just wanted someone to speak to that and clue me in.”
Mayor Bruce Bowling replied, “We’re not in the best of shape, but we’re not broke and bankrupt,” and invited Lewis to look at the city’s financial records.
“Okay,” Lewis replied, “How bad are we?”
Bowling answered that as of the time of the meeting, the city’s water account is $54,000 in the red, and the sewer accounts are $4,000 in the red.
“But we’re getting ready to raise the rates on water and sewer, and that’s going to help us out quite a bit,” he said.
“Have we borrowed money to make payroll?” Lewis asked.
“No,” Bowling said. “We’ll get by.”
Later in the meeting, the council passed the first reading of an ordinance to raise water rates by 28% and sewer rates by 20%.
After the unanimous vote, Bowling noted that even with the rate hike, White Sulphur will “still have the lowest water rate in the state.”
Council member Mark Gillespie spoke up at that point, stating, “We were forced to do this.”
The city will have to hold an additional public hearing and a second reading of the ordinance before the rate hikes will take effect.
Gillespie was another person at the meeting who expressed discomfort at the state of the city’s finances.
Earlier in the meeting, when Bowling asked council to make a motion to approve the city finances and pay the bills, Gillespie made the motion, with a caveat.
“I will make a motion to approve the finances and pay the bills with the understanding that there is a major concern over the funds being available to cover the next (round of bills),” Gillespie said.
Gillespie also took issue with Bowling’s voting at a previous meeting on Sept. 30.
When Bowling asked for council to approve the minutes of the Sept. 30 meeting, Gillespie said that there were only three members present, so that there had not been a quorum in place, something that is required for meetings to occur and votes to take place.
City recorder Kathy Glover told Gillespie, “There were four of us here (including) the mayor, and the mayor said he was able to vote, and we went on with the meeting.”
Gillespie expressed skepticism at this, stating that the previous mayor, Lloyd Haynes, never was a voting member of council during his tenure.
“So, the mayor decides who can be a voting member?” Gillespie asked.
“(The mayor) decides if he or she is going to be a voting member,” Bowling replied.
“Well, that was never brought before council,” said Gillespie, “but I think that it should be.”
Bowling pushed back, stating the matter had been taken up during the first meeting of the year after Bowling’s election.
“I’d like to see the minutes of that,” said Gillespie.
Bowling agreed, and the meeting proceeded.
But Gillespie was not the only person who expressed dissatisfaction with the way meetings have been conducted by the current administration.
White Sulphur citizen David Leadman also spoke out against council, accusing them of being secretive.
Quoting a summary of sunshine laws, Leadman read from a paper that the purpose of sunshine laws are in place, “so that the people will be informed about the actions of their governments and retain control over them,” he said.
Leadman said that he’d felt bullied and intimidated by council when he’d expressed concerns in meetings about goings on in town including his concerns about a pedestrian bridge that is to be built across Howard’s Creek and regarding the forgiveness of a B&O tax against the WV Great Barrel Company in Caldwell.
“I came here last meeting to talk about the B&O tax that you forgave the barrel factory for,” he said. “I was just wanting to know how much money that you just gave away, understanding the conditions, financially, that the city’s in.
“That didn’t go well either, because I got no information,” Leadman said.
“As a citizen, I’d like to know that you’re responsible for the finances of this city,” he said. “And that you gave an exemption without the public’s knowledge of even how much it was.”
No one on council replied to Leadman.
After the meeting, Bowling told the West Virginia Daily News that the city’s financial situation was “not that bad.”
| Organic pumpkins on display on Main Street in White Sulphur Springs. The Old White Garden Club, the Main Street organization, and town merchants were praised by city council for their beautifying efforts and fall decor. |
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| A display inviting Spa City youngsters to the Gum Store pumpkin carving party on Oct. 22. |
