Last week brought another tough and tumultuous night to Gladewater City Hall, leaving tempers frayed and egos bruised with no clear resolution at the end of the night.
Landing days after the city’s Aug. 31 Town Hall and its #TeamGladewater mantra, city attorney Ronald Stutes was in attendance Sept. 3 and served as an occasional referee while council members and key city employees rehashed recent conflicts.
It’s not something that can be boiled down simply.
Gladewater City Attorney Ronald Stutes confers off-mic with Mayor Brandy Flanagan-Shipp Sept. 3 during an open session personnel hearing on Gladewater City Treasurer Meghan Davis and City Manager Charlie Smith. Top: Gladewater Mayor Brandy Flanagan-Shipp and councilman Milton Anderson listen to City Treasurer Meghan Davis’ (center) explanation of city finances during the elected officials’ special session Sept. 3.
There are disagreements about the city’s three-month fund balance policy that was written last year and how it is (and isn’t) being followed. There are differing opinions on the city’s ongoing activities and expenditures and to what degree elected officials should be involved in daily business. There are misunderstandings about procedures, staffing needs, various responsibilities, finances and philosophies. There are conflicts about communication, to and from both council and staff.
There was a fair amount of hostility in the mix, as well.
After opening the meeting and taking a quick procedural vote on the construction speed limit on Hwy. 271, council members spent 40 minutes in an executive (closed) session with Stutes. Two ‘Personnel Matters’ were listed for private discussion as well, but both Gladewater City Manager Charlie Smith and City Treasurer Meghan Davis opted for the issues to be aired in the open, in front of the city’s department heads and a smattering of employees in addition to community members.
Before the personnel discussion, the elected officials voted unanimously to rescind their Aug. 25 vote setting a proposed tax rate for Fiscal Year 2026-2027. It means they’re now required to host a new public hearing and subsequent vote – see the separate story on Page 1.
In the end, the mayor and city attorney are now developing 90-day Performance Improvement Plans for both Smith and Davis. The PIPs will be presented later for council consideration and possible action.
According to the attorney, “It’ll say exactly what council expects.”
Davis was first up Sept. 3, and the conversation soon focused on the city’s fund balance guidelines, echoing heated exchanges from the Aug. 25 budget workshop.
Both the mayor and city treasurer volubly criticized the other’s professional conduct that night as well as during Thursday’s meeting.
“Let’s bring the heat down just a tad bit,” council member Milton Anderson requested.
Flanagan-Shipp reiterated her concerns about delayed and non-responses to council members’ requests for information.
For example, “On this policy, it clearly states that we are to maintain a three-month reserve,” she said, and the last audit noted 4.2 months were available. “As the treasurer, you and the city manager are responsible for the financial goings on here, the day-to-day stuff.”
Per Davis’ latest numbers, the relevant annual expenses in the budget are about $6.9 million. Divided by 12 months then multiplied by three months, the city should have $1.73 million in reserves.
Gladewater City Councilman André Clay asks city staffers how they plan to correct procedures moving forward.
Per Thursday’s discussion, that amount is currently available as policy requires (with excess). That said, it’s not explicitly noted nor easily trackable as requested by council members – a sticking point Aug. 25.
“I think the last council meeting was a little heated,” councilman William Blackmon allowed. Among other issues, “We need to revise the policy,” he added. “We don’t have a structure that outlines what reserves are.”
Davis committed to bring the policy forward again once its reviewed and revised by the city’s auditor.
From the mayor, “There’s reasons behind why we’re asking so that we can, once we have the information, be able to make the best choice we can for the city financially for those types of things,” she said.
In addition to her current provision of the quarterly investment reports, check ledger and other documents, Davis said she’ll add the fund balance figure to the city’s monthly balance sheets for council review.
Addressing the council’s concerns about the hefty “wish list” preliminary financial plan presented July 30 and the current delay in developing the numbers for the coming fiscal year, Davis said future budget calendars will be different.
“Next year we’re starting way earlier. We will have more meetings. I mentally cannot handle what happened this year.
Regarding Smith, the mayor contends there was a lack of communication following the Aug. 25 meeting, asking why the city manager did not reach out following the contentious session.
“What we need to hear from our city manager is that you were on top of it,” Flanagan-Shipp said.
Smith said he was part of follow-up conversations with city staffers. The city manager allowed he could have provided a quick update on grant questions before heading out-of-town Aug. 28 on scheduled PTO.
(From right) Gladewater City Manager Charlie Smith, councilman Kevin Clark and council member Milton Anderson participate in last week’s special called session Sept. 3.
Various council members once again questioned the use of city funds for various projects that were not brought for approval from the dais. The same expenditures figured into initial concerns Aug. 25 that the fund balance had been depleted.
“Council has given him free rein to do what he needs to do,” council member Stoney Stone countered.
“Within budget,” the mayor replied.
Per Smith, “When I got here, and everybody knows this, this city was so backward that everything that came up was an emergency,” he said. “I can’t wait for a council meeting to do that… There’s things these guys are doing on a daily basis that are major deals.”
The city manager offered to keep a daily diary for the council’s review – project updates, interactions with department heads, etc. – and to reach out to a couple of council members (two is the maximum to respect open meeting rules) for urgent or emergency expenditures.
“I really don’t think we need to get that far into the weeds about who you talked to and what you talked about,” Anderson replied.
Per Smith, “I’ll bring anything you want me to bring to you… I don’t mind the questions, I really don’t.”
Granted, councilman André Clay said, “You have the discretion to do what you need to do. You’re running the city.”
That said, Clay wants to avoid similar contentious issues in the future.
“Where do we go from here to make sure this doesn’t happen and we’re not here again next year?” Clay asked. “We’re getting stopped in the grocery store about stuff, I don’t want to misspeak.”
According to Smith, “I don’t think Meghan’s going to let that happen, and I’ll be more involved with it also.”
From a problem-solving perspective, other suggestions last week included council member Kevin Clark’s request to keep a public chart of grants, project status and reimbursements so council members, staffers and the public are in the loop on key activities.
Anderson recommended accepting Davis’ request to bring in another employee to take Human Resources and select tasks off her plate.
“I would like to see us split up the HR and finance,” he said. “I feel she gets overwhelmed.”
Various issues will be addressed during the final stretch of budget season, Flanagan-Shipp said.
As to the personnel issues in Thursday’s discussion, “I think we can do a 90-day Performance Improvement Plan,” the mayor said, “and get some of these things corrected and up to point. If at 90 days things have been improved on both, we can just move forward.”