Mayor Diane Delaware said she was told to “stay out of day to day business” of some city departments, adding that she has followed that request.
But she said those areas are already “broken” from jobs not getting done.
“I stay out of it because you tell me to,” Delaware told the Board of Mayor and Aldermen during its Monday meeting. “You go and you tell those people that I am not supposed to be in their offices. Then when I go into their offices, everything is broken.”
Based on the city’s articles, Delaware said she is supposed to be involved with department’s daily operations.
According to the city’s ordinance, the mayor “shall supervise all the officers of the city and shall see that all laws, ordinances, and resolutions are enforced.” The mayor can also “suspend all delinquent officers or agents of the city government, and report his action, and the cause thereof, to the governing body at its next meeting.”
However, Delaware said she has been told to remove herself from daily operations from some departments.
“And when I stay out of them for one month, two months, three months, four months...I go back and find everything is broken to the tune of folks being on the back account who aren’t even supposed to be on there,” Delaware said.
Alderman Dr. Jack Varner asked Delaware to be more specific.
“I will be specific in a memo since we have visitors,” Delaware replied.
Alderman Ron Johnson asked if Delaware’s findings were “a long term thing or a short term thing.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Delaware said. “It was a big thing.”
Varner said that Delaware’s comments were a direct reflection of the city council.
“If we hired the people who knew and did the right job, you wouldn’t have to be sitting there telling them what to do,” Varner said.
Varner also agreed that Delaware is “the manager.”
Later in the open meeting, Delaware mentioned certain duties she was removing herself from within the city of Yazoo City. She reminded the board she was not the director of public works when questions arose in that department. She also said she would not be writing any more grants for the city.
Delaware also referred some city clerk questions to interim clerk Mario Edwards, who was not present during the meeting.
In regard to those city clerk matters, the board tabled an order authorizing budget amendments for the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 fiscal years. The items have appeared on the agenda in the past with no action from the board.
“The city clerk hasn’t presented them to me, neither has the CPA,” Delaware said. “I can’t explain them to you. Doing people’s jobs really doesn’t help them. So I won’t be helping them.”
