The past two editions of The Yazoo Herald were publicly dissected during Monday’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting. Those published articles covered a range of material presented during open meetings from concerns over the city’s employees’ medical leave and compensatory time, along with the board’s decision to place time clocks within each city department.
I also published an editorial about City Clerk Kaneilia Williams admitting during a public board meeting that the reports she provided to the city leaders with medical leave and compensatory time were incorrect. Using that space on the editorial page, which is my opinion, I printed how I was baffled that the city clerk would submit a requested report knowing and admitting it was incorrect. I feel like that was a valid question.
During last Monday’s board meeting, Alderman Macklyn Austin said my coverage was “absolutely false.” I have no personal hard feelings against Alderman Austin, and I am sure he will respect my professional role to respond to his comment.
“I know for sure what was printed in the articles about our city clerk was 100 percent false,” he said.
I would like to know if what I printed was “absolutely false?”
I printed that the city’s payroll docket has been a recurring topic within the city council for the past several weeks with some city leaders approving payroll but remaining hesitant about the compensatory time and sick leave reports.
Is that not correct? Has the city’s compensatory time and sick leave not been a hot topic? It most certainly has. In fact, the topic has practically consumed most of the recent meetings.
So, I don’t think my reporting was “false” on that one.
I also printed that after being provided with conflicting figures and reports from Williams, Alderman Charlie Jenkins said he continues to have reservations about the whole process. Williams admitted that the submitted report was not correct. She blamed Delta Computer Systems. She added that even though she knew the report was incorrect, she submitted it anyway because she felt it was the report that the city council wanted.
Is that not correct?
Did reservations remain over the conflicting figures? Did Williams admit the submitted report was incorrect? Did she submit it anyway? Again, these actions happened and were recorded by me during an open meeting. And again, I don’t think my reporting was “false” on that one either.
I printed that according to the Aug. 11 board minutes, Alderman Jenkins made the motion to install time clocks in each department. The motion passed with no opposition from the remaining present board members. Alderman Austin, however, was not present.
Was a motion not approved to install time clocks in reference to concern over compensatory time and medical leave? Again, how was my reporting “false” on that one?
To the claim that The Herald’s reporting has been “100 percent absolutely false” is a statement that is absolutely false.
The coverage related to the city’s compensatory time and medical leave did not just happen in our past two editions. The request for a breakdown in those reports has been requested by Jenkins for over a year.
But what we have printed in the last two editions is based solely on what was presented and said publicly during the open board meetings. I record the entire meetings, transcribe them and print them. I stand behind everything that has been printed on these issues.
Have the compensatory time and medical leave within the city been a concern? Yes.
Was the requested report submitted by the city clerk incorrect? Yes.
Did the city clerk admit it was incorrect and submit it anyway? Yes.
Did the city council approve installing time clocks in every department? Yes.
Did I print my opinion that submitting a report that you know is incorrect in a time of clear division is baffling? Absolutely.
I respect Austin’s opinion, but I have to disagree with him on this one. My role at The Herald with the information I printed was based solely on public, open and recorded meetings. Perhaps a better statement from Austin would have been that he didn’t agree with the claims and concerns made by other city leaders.
Support and defense for Williams was only presented during this week’s meeting from other board members. And their statements were covered in the same fashion as those they disagree with on the front page of this edition. The ink at The Herald flows freely for both sides. It always has.
I have been at The Herald for two decades, and I have a saying that I have shared many times with local elected officials. I merely print what is said and done in public meetings. If it looks bad, sounds questionable or appears chaotic, then that falls on the conduct and actions of the people within those meetings. In other words if you don’t like the way you sound when you read about your actions while conducting public business, perhaps you should consider making some changes in how you do things.
