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Council passes over SEDD nominees amid Chamber dispute, introduces several repeal ordinances and other measures
Summary
Council deferred action on Southside Economic Development District nominees after competing recommendations from the Chamber and SEDD; the council also introduced repeal ordinances affecting video-bingo tax rededication, a special tax election and purchasing procedures and approved multiple routine appointments and infrastructure measures.
The Monroe City Council on July 23 moved to pass over nominations to the Southside Economic Development District (SEDD) after a dispute between the Monroe Chamber of Commerce and SEDD representatives over whom the Chamber had placed on a recommendation list.
Roy Heavenly and Tony Little told the council the Monroe Chamber had nominated Lamon Woods for the SEDD seat; SEDD officers, including Roosevelt Wright, urged the council to follow Chamber-provided nominee lists while noting the incumbent Mr. Dhaliwal would remain in his three-year term until the council named a replacement. After debate over statutory nomination procedures and how the council should proceed, Mr. Muhammad moved to pass over the list of nominees; the motion was seconded by Mr. McFarland and carried.
Separately, the council introduced ordinances to repeal Ordinance No. 12,219 (Video Bingo Tax Rededication), Ordinance No. 12,220 (Special Tax Election), and Ordinance No. 12,225 (Purchasing and Bidding Procedures). Several council members recorded nay votes on introductions, and council discussion focused on whether the special tax election rescind would affect bonding capacity and on concerns that an earlier change from a perpetual tax to a 25-year term required clearer public notice.
The meeting also confirmed several routine appointments by resolution (e.g., Cedrick Hemphill to the Monroe Heritage Preservation Commission; Juanita G. Woods and Rev. James E. Jackson Sr. to Interstate 20 Economic Development Corporation seats; Verbon Muhammad Sr. to the Capital Infrastructure Commission) and approved airport- and public-works-related contracts and work authorizations.
Councilors asked staff to ensure proper statutory processes and public notice are followed before final action on repeals or appointments and to work with bond counsel and administration on timing if the council pursues a tax election renewal in a future calendar cycle.
