Throughout Mayor Oliver Ellis’ first term, a consistent theme has emerged: he avoids meeting or associating with those who differ with his decisions or may be critical of his actions. That’s a formula for disaster and stalemate in the years ahead, especially since all three African-American members of the next council have an electoral mandate to fight for South Monroe.
For four years, the mayor has snubbed all meetings and social event invitations from organizations such as the NAACP, Black Chamber of Commerce, SEDD, and other South Monroe groups that have been critical of some of his actions. He has also frequently ignored Councilwoman Juanita Woods, who has sometimes questioned his legislative agenda.
In March, a political earthquake occurred in South Monroe with the election of Rev. Rodney McFarland and Minister Verbon Muhammad, two community advocates critical of the mayor. Apart from a strained congratulations, Mayor Ellis has refused to acknowledge these newly elected officials and has made significant decisions that require full council support without involving them or Councilwoman Woods.
This exclusionary approach has prompted a knee-jerk reaction from Rev. McFarland and Minister Muhammad, who will join Woods in July to form the majority of the city council. The mayor’s snub has forced them to take to the council floor to voice their complaints, with Rev. McFarland issuing a chilling warning: “God is not mocked, ye shall reap what you sow.”
Mayor Ellis’s response to this growing discontent has been to conveniently absent himself from council meetings and refuse meetings with the new leaders, leaving his surrogates to push through last-minute ordinances and election calls without proper deliberation while he hides in other cities.
Even the city’s recent press announcement of a hockey team excluded Woods, ignored Rev. McFarland and Minister Muhammad, and was attended mostly by whites.
Tuesday night’s council meeting saw a packed chamber, with South Monroe’s most vocal spokesmen expressing frustration at the rushed agenda and lack of collaboration with the newly elected officials.
It is clear that Mayor Ellis cannot continue to dodge council meetings and avoid dealing with the three fiery advocates who will be on the council for the next four years. Snubbing Mrs. Woods and the Southside’s newly elected officials only sets the stage for a confrontational four-year term, as all three have an undeniable electoral mandate to ensure that South Monroe is no longer ignored.
Successful leadership in politics requires respecting those who differ and searching for common ground; that’s politics 101.
If Mayor Ellis continues to run and dodge, he risks becoming the mayor of Monroe’s white community and the enemy of its black community, which comprises 65 percent of the city’s population.
As Joe Louis told Billy Conn in 1946, “You can run, but you can’t hide.” Mayor Ellis must learn to engage with his critics and work towards inclusive governance, or he may find himself facing many tough rounds with the Southside’s Brown Bombers when they are sworn in on July 1st.
