Cairo council orders resumption of pay

CAIRO, Ill. -- In a meeting dominated by discussions of Cairo's deteriorating financial condition, the Cairo City Council unanimously approved Tuesday a resolution ordering Mayor Paul Farris to resume paying four members he has warred with throughout his administration.

Councilwoman Carolyn Ponting, who is seeking the mayor's job in the Feb. 27 primary, also proposed that council members agree to take a pay cut.

Farris took four council members off the regular payroll in January 2006, following a public announcement that they would not attend regular meetings because of what they termed his "dictatorial" style of government. The four -- Linda Jackson, Bobby Whitaker, Elbert "Bo" Purchase and Sandra Tarver -- skipped one meeting, then reversed course. As a result, Ponting and at-large councilman Joseph Thurston have received regular $800 monthly paychecks, but the others have not. Farris receives $1,000 monthly.

There was little discussion of the motion, and Farris did not say whether he will veto the measure. The mayor's power to veto council actions, upheld in a court ruling last summer, is a sore spot for council members.

When Ponting sought to cut the pay of the mayor and council, a move that must be taken by Jan. 27 to be effective for members elected in April, she found some support but on the condition that Farris issues paychecks.

"I have no problem with that if we get paid by the 27th," Purchase said.

Seeking mayor's job

Along with Ponting, Whitaker is seeking Farris' job. Purchase and Tarver are seeking re-election, while Jackson is seeking the at-large council seat. There are 10 candidates for mayor and, unless a court reverses decisions made Friday blocking three convicted felons from seeking office, 33 candidates for the council.

Discussions Tuesday about the state of the city's finances ranged from whether a city resident who worked under contract to mow city parks should be paid $3,000 he is owed to whether the city should sell Riverlore, a mansion that was purchased with $270,000 in bonds in 1999. Council members also discussed whether to purchase new accounting software, which Erica Wells, the city clerk, said is needed because the city can't track what it owes with current software.

Cairo has not been audited during Farris' term, and during the current year police and fire pension contributions have not been made. When questioned about the lack of payments to fire and police pensions by Purchase, Farris replied that the city's appropriation ordinance was not passed on time, which left council members questioning whether he thought that meant he could spend the money as he saw fit. He did not reply on that point.

The council's discussion also focused on the city electoral board decisions Friday that excluded three convicted felons from seeking office. Farris took on Purchase, who voted against excluding the felons, and Jackson, who sat with Purchase and Wells in judgment of the qualifications of mayoral candidates because Farris is seeking another term. Jackson voted to allow a convicted felon to seek the mayor's post. "Why are you allowing someone to run who can't be seated?" Farris asked.

Purchase said he's not going to judge people based on their past and didn't want to take away their opportunity to run. "I am not going to deny anybody's right to do anything."

By a vote of 4-to-0 with Ponting abstaining, the council voted to bar Farris from spending any city money on court cases, which would in effect bar him from fighting appeals from the excluded candidates. The first appeal is expected to be filed today.

Farris did not say whether he would veto that measure.

rkeller@semissourian.com

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