Much has been said and written about the Whitesboro City Council meeting last week.
If you read last week’s front-page story, you know all about it. If you keep up with Whitesboro community Facebook pages, you have read more than you probably want to. I stand by our reporting on the recent City Council meetings.
I scrutinized the recordings and transcripts of the meetings in question, and I believe our team has done an exceptional job relaying what was said in those public meetings.
There has been a lot of noise lately, and the noise can get tiring. I’ve been doing this job a long time— longer than I care to admit at some points. I’ve covered city government and school boards and county commissioners. I’ve dealt with congressmen and state representatives and political party chairs. All community governments and city councils have their issues.
What we are experiencing in Whitesboro is not special to us.
I’ve seen these things happen before. A quick look around the state shows quite a bit of controversy in small town city halls underway as we speak.
The city of Clyde, Texas, outside of Abilene, missed a bond payment last week. As of press time, city officials have not even responded to media inquiries, much less given a good excuse about why the payment was missed.
Out in East Texas, the new mayor of Jefferson has proposed a budget that includes salary freezes for all city employees except the city attorney. According to the local newspaper, her proposed budget gives the lawyer a raise and no one else. The thing is— the lawyer is her husband.
Closer to home, our friends in Pilot Point recently petitioned unsuccessfully for a recall election to oust an alderman there.
The controversies are not limited to just city councils.
There is a movement in Crockett, Texas, to do away with their Economic Development Corporation. Citizens are upset about missing funds and a bad audit. No good excuses have been made about the missing money, and folks are fed up.
So, unrest in City Hall abounds. It’s not just here.
At least our issues are limited to personality conflicts and not all-out corruption.
It’s easy to look at our personality conflicts and say, “this too shall pass.” Which I think they will, but until they do, we still must get things done.
Back in the spring, I wrote an editorial personally vouching for everybody on the Whitesboro City Council ballot. I told you I thought they were all good people with their own reasons for running. I told you I thought they all brought valuable experience and background to the position. I stand by these statements, but background and experience will not help anyone if we cannot work together.
I agree with Police Chief Coss’ recent assertions. It’s time to put personalities aside and put the citizens first. It’s time to quit talking about one another and start talking to one another—both at City Hall and in the community. An organization is only as healthy as the communication it fosters.
It’s time to communicate more and bicker less.
There is much common ground to be had, but it will never be found if we all retreat to our corners and dig in. President Harry Truman once said, “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.”
Harry was right. It’s time to put personalities aside, dispense of our egos and talk to one another.
If more elected officials from the national level on down would do this, their constituents would be better served and more would be accomplished.