Mayor Mack Rutledge called three times Tuesday for a second to Alderman at Large Vic Zitta’s motion.
Three times, the board was silent. Zitta’s motion was dead.
Zitta had asked that the city thoroughly investigate the petition review process that ultimately killed any chance for a public referendum on the justice complex issue.
A few minutes later, after hearing pleas from about a dozen Starkville residents in support of a more thorough investigation, the board voted to sell $5 million in bonds to the federal government to fund the justice complex project.
Barring extraordinary circumstances, Starkville is getting a new police station and municipal court at the Miss. Highway 25 Bypass.
We’re glad the Starkville Police Department is getting a new, much-needed facility, but we’re a little disturbed by the process that led to the city’s decision.
Starkville residents are going to have to pay for the complex, and they should have been given a say in how much it should cost and whether to build it near Wal-Mart, in the middle of town or at any other possible location.
The city’s actions through the ordeal in response to citizen concerns were coarse. City attorney Katherine Kerby batted down citizens’ questions stone-faced Tuesday night. The board was silent through Zitta’s calls for a more thorough investigation, only speaking up to correct Zitta when they thought he was in error.
After Zitta requested Feb. 1, without making a motion, that the board investigate the petition review process, 21 names that had been erroneously removed from the petition were added back on, leaving it just 64 names short of forcing a referendum. A more thorough investigation could have revealed that 64 more names had been erroneously removed, or that none had.
Whatever the case, the issue is moot now. But we’re betting it won’t be forgotten on Election Day.
The Reflector editorial board is made up of opinion editor Angela Adair, news editor Elizabeth Crisp, assistant news editor Jed Pressgrove sports editor Jeff Edwards, entertainment editor Dustin Barnes, managing editor Pam McTeer and editor in chief Josh Foreman.