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| Checking Magnolia’s E-mails – Nov. 9 |
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The following are copies of e-mails obtained by the Tribune. The e-mails include messages sent and received by City Administrator Ryan Kelley, Mayor Jimmy Thornton, finance clerk Beverly Standley and former City Secretary LuAnn Drake. City e-mails and records are available to the public through the Texas Public Information Act.
FROM: Beverly Standley, Finance Clerk TO: Ryan Kelley, City Administrator DATE: November 21, 2008 SUBJECT: Hotel/Motel Occupancy Mr. Kelley, I want to respectfully disagree with the use of hotel/motel funds as far as the fund balance. I know what the numbers say but in actuality those funds have been used, like it or not, in the general/operating fund because there is no separate checking account. The general fund had a negative balance at the end of 2006-2007 and I suspect it will also have a negative balance for the upcoming audit 2007-2008. So even though it is illegal how can you justify using something that is not there. Just like the Court Security and Technology fund balances. IMPACT was the same way, but we were obligated to use those and had no choice. This time you have a choice. So I think you should at least wait until after the audit to disburse any funds.
FROM: LuAnn Drake, City Secretary TO: Beverly Standley, Finance Clerk; Ryan Kelley, City Administrator DATE: November 21, 2008 SUBJECT: RE: Hotel/Motel Occupancy I agree with Beverly. Theatrically, (sic) the funds may seem to be there but in actuality if they are not there then we should not spend money that is not available. That method will only hurt the City in the long run. Considering the economy at this time I would suggest that expenditures from revenues of sales tax should be monitored very closely. I would suggest researching the repercussions of spending the Court Security and Technology and Hotel/Motel tax funds on any items other than the intended use set forth by the state of Texas. If you prefer to make such expenditures please do so per written instructions.
FROM: Ryan Kelley, City Administrator TO: LuAnn Drake, City Secretary; Beverly Standley, Finance Clerk DATE: November 21, 2008 SUBJECT: RE: Hotel/Motel Occupancy Issue
LuAnn, Beverly I am most definitely unhappy that my staff should choose to advise me in this way after I have been instructed by said staff that the money is available for use. I now have my credibility doubted or undermined due to poor staff advice or deliberate undermining of my efforts. No matter how you view this it was staff’s responsibility to properly account for all funds, including the HOT occupancy and Court funds, apparently this was not done. Also, LuAnn. While your advice is appreciated, it is not your place to pass judgment on the appropriateness of fund allocation, especially since you could not be here for the council meeting and do not know to what extent these concerns were reviewed and discussed. I find your lack of confidence in me and Leonard to perform our respective jobs adequately to be disappointing. Do you really think that Leonard and I have not reviewed the proper use of these funds? We have. And we have had those uses approved by the Council with the proper findings as required by statute. Please check the minutes or recording. Further, while the economy is slowing and sales tax revenue bears review, these funds were collected in prior years and are indeed intended to be spent. If budgeted monies are spent as directed by council, and no HOT tax is collected this year, we would still have a balance in the “fund” of some $36,000. I will discuss this with the City Attorney and the Mayor and then will instruct you about how we will proceed. I would remind you both that the City Council has voted to expend these funds in the manner recommended by myself and the HOT committee. I would further remind you that under state statute the city is required to spend these monies for eligible purposes subject to state audit. It is my present intention to spend these funds as allocated. Also, please let me know if either of you have spread these e-mails or opinions to other council or staff members. Beverly, in the future you are instructed to make it clear to me just exactly with whom your e-mails to me are shared. I did not know that you had copied LuAnn on your note this morning. LuAnn- until further notice, I am your supervisor, not the other way around. Please make policy or procedure recommendations to me, but do not tell me what to do. I am sorry that this initial e-mail came to me after closing and when Beverly was walking out the door on Friday. LuAnn I am sorry for this response coming at such a difficult time for you and your family, but I felt that I needed to respond immediately to you both on this issue. Ryan
FROM: LuAnn Drake, City Secretary TO: Ryan Kelley DATE: November 24, 2008 SUBJECT: RE: Hotel/Motel Occupancy Issue
Ryan,
You have made it more than clear that you do not understand municipal finance on many occasions. I do not feel the City is in great financial shape and I only ask that you be mindful of that. Don’t blame staff for your creditability issues. I am offended by your statement of poor staff advice. You are the person that has been working in government more than any of us. How dare you blame your short comings on staff?
While Leonard may be a capable attorney his (sic) not God and he does not know everything, nor does anyone else. I was not attacking Leonard and I don’t appreciate your comments to that affect.
Furthermore, no one is under mining you. You have provided no leadership to this staff but yet you feel we are suppose (sic) to provide you with all the knowledge and direction. It would be nice to have a supervisor that actually provided leadership to the employees.
Let’s be clear here, from this point forward if you or Leonard have any instruction for staff please put it in writing as verbal instructions can be misunderstood.
I copied the Mayor, if Mayor Thornton does not want to be copied on any emails I would be glad (sic) discontinue such emails upon his instruction.
I am not interested in your apology; I am interested in the future of the City of Magnolia and its citizens.
LuAnn
FROM: Jimmy Thornton, Mayor TO: LuAnn Drake, City Secretary; Ryan Kelley, City Administrator DATE: December 2, 2008 SUBJECT: RE: Hotel/Motel Occupancy Issue
Guys,
I don’t understand all the problems going on.
But this will stop today or I will get more involved
And bring everyone in on this
We have to be united in Magnolia
As you are aware we are getting better
Please don’t let your feeling cloud your judgment
You both have a job to do, please do it to the best of your ability
If you need help in any area, seek help within, and then and only then get help outside
Chain of command is set;
Thanks for making Magnolia a better place………………….
FROM: Jimmy Thornton, Mayor
TO: LuAnn Drake, City Secretary; Ryan Kelley, City Administrator DATE: December 2, 2008 SUBJECT: RE: Hotel/Motel Occupancy Issue
One more thing, I don’t ever want to see department heads (sic) as yourselves Speaking to each other like this again, And the blind coping (sic) Not a good thing in my book If you have trouble, work it out between the parties involved don’t get Anyone else involved, and play fair……..
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written by lacoda, November 09, 2009
These people running the City of Magnolia has made us ashamed of whats happening. I need to know when it time to vote for a new major. I've lived in the Magnolia area for 34 years. Maybe I need to throw my name in the hat. Hell... I can't be no worse than the people in charge now. You need someone in office whos cares for the people and the Community. Someone that has no friends on any boards and has no relatives that would bid on jobs.
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written by wth, November 09, 2009
First (before you run for "major")you may want to back check your writing.
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written by Jo A Windham, November 09, 2009
I think we all knew what "locoda" meant.
Now Mr. Kelley, we all know that you wanted to blame LuAnn for everything. She was the only person at City Hall that knew what was going on and how things needed to be. She certainly knew how much money was in the city's bank account and so did Beverly. You can't say these e-mails were doctored. Are you going to now attack Beverly? We know you certainly won't attack Debra. Appears she has too much on you. Why don't you do the voting citizens of Magnolia a favor and resign. You have now put the city in financial ruin as well as being guilty of "misuse of city funds" from most city accounts. I have the records and they certainly tell the truth. These documents were obtained from city records. Do you, Mr. Kelley, think we are a bunch of "hicks" and don't know what is going on with you, the Williams', the Mayor and a few of the other council members? It is such a shame we have allowed you the city officials and the city administrator to get away with this as long as you have. (Remember, Mr. Kelley, you are not a city manager.) You just think you have that title. Now you want to get rid of Judge Purvis. Now is the time to stop and take back control of our little town. She went along with you firing LuAnn with your promise of a raise for her.
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written by JeriCarpenter, November 10, 2009
Thank you Jo Windham for speaking up. So many of the citizens are afraid to speak up due to retalation from the elected officials. It's been proven over and over by the not only the emails that have been posted but the loss of employee's just what type of leaders that Magnolia has.
Kelley has wanted rid of Judge Purvis since he first came to Magnolia. I fought the battle for the Judge when he and his wife were in the hospital and Kelley explained it to me in plain english that he was not only over the City but also the Court and the Police Department. He made it clear that these were his instructions from both the Mayor and the city council members. The problem he had was that the ordinance didn't state that and the Judge didn't give in to him and ran his own department. The Judge has done an excellent job for Magnolia and his employee's each respect him along with the citizens of Magnolia Texas. Lets quit the games and call in the Texas Ranger's, there is enough documentation to hang them out to dry now. GOD BLESS AMERICA and MAGNOLIA
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written by Jo A Windham, November 10, 2009
Thanks Jeri. No the city officials cannot scare me.
I hope that they will think twice about firing our Judge. The only one they should fire tonight is the City Administrator, Ryan Kelly, then the people of the city should get rid of the whole city council with the exception of John Bramlett. You are right about it being time to bring in the Texas Rangers. We do have a lot of information to put the elected officials out of office.
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written by exposed, November 11, 2009
The only thing that the Mayor can say is "Play Fair". He should take is own advise. The Mayor doesn't know what fair is, and he believes it's a game. I don't consider peoples livelihoods a game. The Mayor, Williams and Council along with Kelley need to be taught a lesson and the citizens need to stand up and getting ride of them. They are a cancer that needs cut out, if not, the cancer will only continue to spread until it consumes all of us.
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written by Lyan Nelley, November 11, 2009
The heavy hand of the Mayor. Sadly, it doesn't appear that he was even concerned with asking the questions of where is the money, what happened to the money or anything else about the money. It would seem that as the Mayor he would have those concerns but instead he was more interested in laying the smackdown on certain employees.
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written by JeriCarpenter, November 11, 2009
Thanks Magnolia for showing up last night at the council meeting, it shows that you're each taking more of an interest and ready to fight back.. They had the Judge's job on the agenda for last night and also the evalueation of the court findings but with so many folks there quickly went past it but will reschedule a special meeting to handle those matters ... A beautiful lady that moved to Magnolia just a few years back must not read the papers because after this was posted and the paper came out I don't see how anyone could sit and praise the elected officials for all the good that they have doing and are doing .. She felt that folks not using their own names on the Save Magnolia web site shouldn't be breathing .. My name is always used if I make a post and she definately remembers me from my patrol days because I was one of the first people she met when she moved here ... Is case you don't have the site folks, it's http://savemagnolia.weebly.com/index.html so be sure and visit and judge for yourselfs.
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written by Lyan Nelley, November 11, 2009
People need to ask the simple questions.
#1 Nov. 21, 2008 there was no funds available in the hotel/motel fund. #2 How much money has been spent out of the hotel/motel fund since Nov. 21, 2008? #3 How much tax money has been received in the hotel/motel fund since Nov. 21, 2008? #4 If the general fund had a negative balance in 2006-2007 and again in 2007-2008 and the hotel/motel fund was negative, where is the money coming from that has been spent since Nov. 21, 2008? Answers to simple questions should be provided by the Mayor as he is the CEO of the city. www.savemagnolia.weebly.com
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written by exposed, November 14, 2009
I don't believe that the Judge was over looked because of the number of citizens that showed up, although it did look good on behalf of the Judge. I think there was a clerical error, a mistake on the agenda. But I have to wonder, Judge we are here for you where were you for your people? You know what the Mayor and Council have done and are doing is wrong! Have you lost your dignity, have you forgot the oath you took? Please tell us that you are not mixed up with these corrupt officials. Judge it's past time to make a stand and right the wrongs, I have known you for many years. Be the person I know you are and put a stop to this non-sense. Judge,it's past time for the truth.
... written by Lyan Nelley, November 15, 2009
I tend to agree exposed. I believe council's next step is to adopt a resolution to remove the municipal judge from office for lack of confidence. Therefore, no one gets to speak on behalf of the judge. It worked well when they terminated the city secretary. The truth is not welcome in city hall. However, the truth is available 24/7 through the world wide web and more people have access than the amount of people that could ever fill Magnolia's meeting room.
www.savemagnolia.weebly.com
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| Last Updated ( Monday, 09 November 2009 10:10 ) |
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