In the lead-up to the March 23rd elections in the City of Monroe, candidates are engaging in a series of community forums that have sparked criticism for their lack of depth in addressing the public records of present and former officials.
These forums, hosted by various organizations, including the Ouachita NAACP, KEDM, First Baptist Church, and Benoit Recreation Center, have been criticized for allowing candidates to evade tough questions about their tenure and decisions in office.
Critics argue that the format of these forums does not adequately challenge candidates based on their past actions or the promises they made while seeking office.
Some tough questions could be asked, such as:
Mayor Friday Ellis could be asked why he offered to provide funds for the Southside Economic Development Committee only if they agreed never to ask for a sales tax for 25 years. He could also be asked whether he endorses drunk driving since the city attorney and his close aide have been convicted of DWI during his term without reprimands or loss of pay.
Former Mayor Jamie Mayo could be asked why, after 19 years in office, the Black community still claims that it has nothing to show that he did for them specifically. He could also be asked about his public actions to keep Black companies from participating in city business, even if they were the lowest bidders.
Betty Ward Cooper, as president of the Library Board, should be asked why she didn’t aggressively push for the construction of the new Carver Library before purchasing new facilities for the main branch.
Council chairwoman Kema Dawson could be asked why she refused to use her influence as council chairwoman to insure that Blacks in North Monroe had fair representation on the council in District 2 or to explain why she refused to replace her appointee on the SEDD board, who has missed all meetings for over a year.
Carday Marshall could be asked to explain why he has not aggressively sought to replace his appointee to the SEDD board, who has never attended a single meeting in over 14 months.
Rev. Rodney McFarland could be asked how he could be trusted to protect Black interests when as a school board president, he led the board to drop its federal anti-discrimination protections after 50 years. He can also be asked why he often promised to remove superintendents such as Canon, and Vidrine, but instead voted to rehire them.
Minister Verbon Muhammad could be asked why, as president of the Monroe City School Board, he led the effort to get rid of the controversial but extremely popular Black superintendent, Kathleen Harris, paying her over $200,000 to leave.
These concerns raise questions about the accountability of elected officials and whether voters are being provided with the information necessary to make informed decisions.
The repetition of the forum format, focusing on future plans rather than past actions, has led to calls for at least one forum that delves into the public records of candidates, especially those with a history in public office.
The lack of transparency in these forums is particularly concerning given the serious nature of some of the issues at stake because at least two council candidates have allegations of violence in the public record.
Voters are left wondering whether promises made by candidates during their campaigns were kept and what the implications of their actions while in office have been for the community.
As the election approaches, the call for more rigorous and probing forums grows louder, highlighting the need for a platform that allows voters to gain a clearer understanding of their candidates’ records.
Without such scrutiny, the electorate may find it challenging to make sound decisions based on a comprehensive understanding of each candidate’s performance and policy positions.
