The shouts of Cynthia Walker rang out over the crowded board room Monday afternoon as she chastised the city council for their recent headline-making behavior.
“Thank you mayor and this board for allowing me this opportunity to scream at y’all,” Walker opened her complaint during the city council meeting this week.
Walker said she has personally received scores of messages and phone calls concerning the Board of Mayor and Aldermen’s recent tension over the last few weeks. From name-calling to a confrontation in a parking lot, Walker begged the city leaders to carry themselves better while performing city duties.
“This is not what we expect,” Walker said. “I believe that you all have converted back to childhood. None of us are benefiting for it.”
Walker said she is frustrated with the shenanigans that have occurred within city leadership over the last month. Meanwhile, in the midst of turmoil, she said nothing positive has been reached in the daily operations of the city.
Walker said no new jobs have been brought into the community. For her personally, she said no attention has been given to her homelessness initiative.
“But you are name-calling,” she added. “Stop this. It is disrespectful.”
Alderman Dr. Jack Varner said in the last edition of The Yazoo Herald that during his two-decade tenure on the city council, board relations has never been this bad.
“Well, your 20 years has been out of order,” Walker said. “Now, you want to complain that somebody else is raising Cain. Really?”
Walker then took issue with Alderman Aubry Brent Jr., who she said is releasing too much information to local resident Mike Frazier. Frazier is an administrator of the social media site Real Talk Yazoo.
“We didn’t elect Mike Frazier,” Walker said. “Don’t you tell him another thing. If you didn’t tell him anything, I appreciate you holding it. But you did tell me that he (Frazier) comes to your house. Mike Frazier, stay away from Mr. Brent’s house. Mrs. Brent don’t want you there, and I haven’t even spoke to Mrs. Brent.”
Walker said social media is not the place for the board’s executive session matters.
“Somebody is telling it,” Walker continued. “So that either means, since we are name-calling, that big headed Chief (Jeff) Curtis is telling it or big headed Aubry Brent is telling it. But somehow big headed Mike Frazier is putting stuff out there that isn’t privileged. That’s not fair. We didn’t elect Mike Frazier.”
Walker told Brent that the tension and name-calling between him and Mayor Diane Delaware must stop.
“You all have a calling,” Walker said. “You took a doggone oath. You swore to God and to the people of Yazoo that you would conduct yourselves. Stop it.”
“Chief Curtis, you know darn well that the street committee never lies,” Walker continued. “There is some drugs missing in this county. You either have them or your police officers have them. Where are the drugs?”
The “drugs” are what Walker said created the riff between Curtis and Alderman Rev. Gregory Robertson.
“That is why you are upset with Alderman Robertson for challenging you on,” Walker said. “And let me tell you all something. Do not disrespect Gregory Robertson. Don’t do that.”
Robertson was not present during the meeting.
“Where he (Robertson) will pray for you, he will be praying for me,” Walker said. “I will come back to this board while y’all are digging dirt, I will dig dirt on everybody’s business that all of Yazoo already knows.”
“And none of that benefits our citizens,” Walker continued, with a shout. “I have a homeless woman with seven children in my home. Solve that. We have a failing school district. Solve that.”
Walker ended her complaint by telling the board that the rest of her concerns will be submitted to The Yazoo Herald as a Letter to the Editor.
