Jackson acknowledged that the move was in response to Leidner’s getting “personally involved” with a proposal by Diverse Power to buy the city’s electricity delivery system, a proposal that has divided mayor and council since it was made almost four months ago.
Less than a half-hour after the regular meeting Tuesday night, however, it appeared that Jackson’s move may have backfired.
“The city charter says all council members have the power to investigate any aspect of the city,” Leidner said. “Just because you’re on one committee, it doesn’t exclude you from looking into something else. I will continue to look into utilities and, in fact, I have been asked by my fellow council members to continue to do so.”
A posting by Leidner on his Facebook page late Tuesday asked friends and supporters to protest the mayor’s action.
Jackson’s changes were made in a surprise announcement in a speech by the mayor in which he read specific parts of the city charter, detailing mayor and council responsibilities. The shake-up, at the end of an otherwise quiet session, left a bewildered Thomas Pike in charge of the utility committee.
“I’ll do what I can,” said Pike, who said he’d still consult with Leidner on utilities matters.
“(Leidner) has been on that committee two years,” Pike said.
Hogansville assigns its council members to committees to look into specific issues and bring those results back to council. LaGrange also uses a council committee system, and West Point did until earlier this year.
In Hogansville, however, the utility committee has been a critical assignment as the city grapples with how to shake more than $6 million in bond debt it took on in the early 1990s with construction of its sewage sprayfield.
A provision of the Diverse plan has Diverse buying out that bond debt and freeing Hogansville from its $49,000 in monthly debt payments. While the city has paid on that debt, all utility infrastructure has suffered.
Leidner was asked specifically by council two years ago to investigate how the city could improve its utility systems and relieve its debt. The Diverse proposal came from that work.
From the start, Jackson appeared to be against the Diverse plan. The May meeting in which it was proposed went so badly that the mayor and Leidner went back and forth all night, with Leidner eventually storming out and threatening resignation.
Jackson has said since then he’s not against the plan, but wants residents to have a say in the deal. Residents were able to ask questions of Diverse leaders at a council meeting in August and a town hall meeting on the proposal is being planned for later this month at Hogansville Elementary School to allow for a capacity crowd.
No residents have spoken out against the proposal, and council members have said – barring any changes – they support the deal.
Jackson denied putting Leidner “in charge” of looking into improving utilities and relieving debt.
”(Leidner) assumed he was” in charge, Jackson said.
The mayor said he didn’t like seeing council members take ownership of issues, which he felt Leidner had done with the Diverse proposal.
“It’s nothing personal, but when I see something personal happening, I need to stop it,” Jackson said late Tuesday. “If I hadn’t said something when the Diverse deal first came up, it seemed like it was already a done deal. He is showing ownership rather than getting involved for the good of the people.”
Leidner disagreed.
“I didn’t take ownership, and nothing that I have done has even hinted at council approval,” he said.
Jennifer Shrader may be reached at jshrader@ lagrangenews. com or at (706) 884-7311, Ext. 236.
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