Mayor calls for federal probe of city's books
Published November 24, 2010LA MARQUE — Activist Quanell X joined Mayor Geraldine Sam in calling for a federal investigation into the city’s finances.
City Manager Eric Gage’s authorization of spending more than $77,000 on a series of fact-finding investigations of the fire and police departments is at the center of Sam’s charge.
Gage said he welcomed anyone to review his actions, noting that he called for the investigations after three fire department employees came to him with allegations of racial and sexual harassment.
Tuesday’s gathering with Quanell X, leader of the New Black Panther Nation and New Black Muslim Movement in America, and a group of local ministers at city hall was meant to bring attention to problems in La Marque’s government, Sam said.
“It would be best if the Department of Justice gets involved with what’s happening with the city’s finances,” Quanell X said. “Nobody wants to answer the legitimate questions of what’s going on with the city’s finances.”
The council had not approved spending any amount on the investigations, Sam said.
Gage, who admitted the investigations “cost too much,” said the investigations found the workers who complained were working in a hostile work environment. He turned over the results of that investigation to Police Chief Randall Aragon, who, in his capacity as public safety director, is reviewing the findings and will make recommendations to Gage about what actions to take.
The city manager in turn argued that the mayor would rush off from meetings when he would try to explain to her the details of the investigations.
Sam said Gage withheld the costs and findings of the fire department investigations from her even when she had attorney general opinions that said the information should be released. She has since been given the records requested, but only after an attorney general’s opinion supporting Sam’s contention that as the presiding officer of the city she had every right to know the details of the investigations.
Gage has denied withholding information from Sam and any council member.
Sam and Mayor Pro Tem Keith Bell couldn’t take action on Monday’s council meeting agenda items, which included firing Gage, the city attorney and city clerk.
Councilwoman Connie Trube declined to attend the meeting, preventing the council from establishing a quorum.
Trube’s continued absence would prevent the council from calling an election to fill vacancies left by the recalled Deanie Barrett and Larry Mann, Sam said.
“There are some questions that need to be answered, and Mrs. Trube doesn’t want to be here to answer those questions,” Sam said. “If she doesn’t want to be here, then she’s holding the city of La Marque hostage.”
Trube said Sunday night that it was Sam who was holding the city hostage by taking advantage of the recent recall elections that ousted Barrett and Mann from the council. Trube said Sam’s agenda was “vengeful” and did not move the city forward.
Sam accused Gage of racism, saying he called black city employees “uneducated and unintelligent.”
Gage denied the allegations.
“That comes from a meeting between me, (Barrett) and the mayor several months ago,” Gage said. “I said that given that we found the firemen were acting like animals and that I had been fighting for people in the water department (to get raises) because they had been passed over for raises and promotions because many were uneducated.”
Gage denied his comments were racist and said he was speaking in general terms why water department employees had lost out on pay increases.
Quanell X and ministers at the gathering called personal attacks against the mayor acts of racism.
“I’ve witnessed her treated with disrespect, and that just should not be,” the Rev. James E. Daniels of Rising Star Baptist Church said. “The African-American community has always tried to work in unison with our white counterparts ... Some of the things I’ve seen on (online forums) about her are degrading and downright sinful. I admonish them.”
In particular, Sam complained about Mann’s comments in The Daily News’ online forums referring to her as “Queen Sam.”
“I have never showed him disrespect and have always referred to him as Mr. Mann,” the mayor said Monday night. “My name is not Queen Sam. It is Geraldine Sam, and it is disrespectful to call me that. He might as well have used the N-word.”
Mann said his comments were meant to reflect his opinion that Sam was trying to run the city as a monarch.
“If she wants to think like that, fine; she can’t help herself,” Mann said. “My advice to her is to look up the word ‘Queen’ in the dictionary and if she thinks that is racist? There is no validity in that.
“There is no racism there. Never has been — never will be.”
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