To the editor:

Four years ago when we elected Mayor Perkins, there were some people who were determined to destroy this city and discredit the mayor. Unfortunately, six of those people serve on the city council. Since they have not been successful so far, they have decided to make one last attempt by calling for a state audit.

What they fail to realize is that an audit is a reflection of the leadership of the council, not the mayor’s office. I say this because the Council approves the budget, the Council approves all changes to the budget and the Council also approves all contracts. So if any money is spent, the Council has to give its approval. Therefore, if anyone has failed to do his or her job, it is the Council.

This council lacks leadership, vision and the best interest of the community. The majority of the members have their own personal agendas. They have even shown disrespect and mistrust for many city personnel. They have attacked the mayor, city attorney, city clerk and lately the mail carrier.

Since Councilman Sexton, Councilwomen Franklin and Sewell have asked for an audit of the last three years, I’d like to suggest going back 10 years. We need to track transactions such as: the summer hiring of family members, the sponsoring of projects for other organizations that certain council members are members of; like: “Reading Is Fun” for the AKA’s, and the hiring of certain youths to work on private property. We need to track why some contracts went to certain people while others were left out. Do not forget that when the council realized that Mayor Perkins had save dsome money for hard times, the same three council members wanted to spend it on unnecessary projects. As a matter of fact they did spend that money as well.

We, as citizens, need to make council members aware that we aren’t ignorant. Councilwoman Franklin wants us to believe that one line item in the whole audit report determines the financial status of the city. Let me remind you that an audit report is about 75 pages long. The auditor has determined the city lost about $550,000. I would rather accept the word of an expert in the accounting field than to accept the word of one who wants to destroy the city. When the million dollars was stolen, these three members were serving on the council and neither asked for an audit then. Why now?

Dee Turner