By Don Blythe

In Michael Clark’s acceptance speech as the new president of the Franklin-Southampton Area Chamber of Commerce, he spoke of the business community reaching out and demanding more accountability from our local leadership.
I agree.
The way we treat some businesses; our lack of economic development and jobs; and possible job-sharing with our neighbors over the years in our community is not something we should point to as a success. When I ran for office two years ago, I ran on the platform of open government, accountability and no more back-door deals by special-interest groups or individuals.
I have run up against a brick wall. Some try to label me as a front for other council members, but I am my own person, fighting for the rights of our citizens and not a select few still trying to govern Franklin from the sidelines. They want to determine our policies and procedures, and they push their own candidates to make sure this continues in the future. This many times leaves me on the side of not having enough votes to get matters taken care in the best interest of the citizens, instead of in the interest of the old guard who still call the shots in our community.
The citizens have a right to be heard and part of our local government, and the citizens have a right to more accountability from our local leaders. With our sometimes free-for-all City Council meetings, where there is arguing and fighting or where the citizens’ voices are overlooked after members have been elected, it is time now where you can make a difference.
With elections for some looming, it is the time they need your vote so their clogged ears will be opened. My question to these candidates and even to the rest not running for re-election is: Where has the accountability to the citizens been? No one locally was ever held accountable for our high trash fees even after we were told repeatedly that everything was fine. I think of this every month I pay my bill, and it continues until 2018?
Several years ago, as a citizen – not a member of the City Council or city staff – I discovered a growing trend of unpaid real estate and personal property taxes adding up to a lot of money. If I had not discovered this, it would be continuing today. No one was held accountable.
When our former city manager and our city attorney knew the police chief had bought former police Sgt. Ronnie McClenny’s gun and we went to court at taxpayers’ expense to hide this, we as council members should have held them accountable for trying to hide this from the public and spending public money when we went to court. I would have supported this, but there were not enough votes to get his done. These two public servants were not held accountable.
If it was not for a kind judge who saw through these shenanigans, we would still not know the truth. When Burger King’s franchisee got $50,000 behind in her meal tax before this became a subject of concern, whose responsibility was it to monitor this? I still do not see where someone was held accountable here, and we may never recover all of this money as things stand today.
When in a public City Council meeting we learned that the Franklin Redevelopment and Housing Authority was less than truthful in its application for grants for Hayden High School, hardly a question has been asked on this. This can come back to bite us later, and we still do not know who was accountable for this.
Now, with the million-dollar draw-down in the electric fund to help pay Franklin’s expenses, who is accountable for this? It is time we find and demand an answer for this. I am sure we as a City Council deserve part of the blame as your representatives, but I am as shocked as you. If we had all these extra expenses that I was not aware of, it appears former City Manager June Fleming either did not do a good job downsizing our expenses to offset the loss of revenue from the mill or was just caught off guard.
Why did the staff hide these expenses from us and you, and what were these expenses? Why did they wait until after Mrs. Fleming left to reveal the problem, since these draw-downs seemed to be going on over the last six months? Mrs. Fleming helped prepare and saw our statements each month, as well as the finance director and the head of Power & Light. They knew this was happening.
There are too many unanswered questions to once again not hold anyone accountable. I tell you this because I can tell you truthfully that I do not know where the money will come from to make up this deficit. Whether it is cutting programs or a major electric increase to make up this money, it will put you in more shock than the trash fee.
I personally think our new city manager needs to conduct an independent investigation on this with citizens on the committee and hold those accountable, whether they still work for the city or not. I call on all running for office, as well as those not running this time, to give a “yes” to this investigation, or if you do not want to know who is responsible, then give a reason to the people why you want to ignore this.
Again, with responsibility comes accountability and it is time we start looking for this for our business community as well as for our citizens.

DON BLYTHE represents Ward 6 on the Franklin City Council. His email address is ward-6@franklinva.com.