Wednesday, January 22, 2003
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Wednesday, January 22, 2003 |
PTC 'press release' about former mayor's letter has upset some council membersBy JOHN
MUNFORD
A press release authored by Mayor Steve Brown and Councilman Steve Rapson to rebut a critical letter to the editor from former mayor Bob Lenox has caused a stir among other council members. The "news release" did not indicate that Brown and Rapson authored the piece. Instead, it was headlined, "City responds to Lenox letter." And that so-called subterfuge has several council members upset, including Annie McMenamin and Dan Tennant. Brown has pledged the issue will be discussed at Thursday night's special called council meeting at 6 p.m. Lenox's letter, which was published in last Wednesday's edition of The Citizen, criticized Brown for "squandering" nearly a million dollars set aside for road projects to purchase two parcels on Ga. Highway 54 West at the entrance to the Wynnmeade subdivision. Lenox pointed out that the land was purchased "for possible use as a passive park, maybe a tot lot." The city also plans to use the property to locate a new cart path bridge that would cross over Hwy. 54. "The next time you see Mayor Brown, thank him for our new million dollar tot lot and ask him when you can get one in your neighborhood," Lenox wrote. But the news release written by Brown and Rapson countered Lenox's arguments, claiming there was "never a balance of nearly a million dollars ... held in reserve" for road projects. "It (Lenox's letter) was the furthest thing from the truth," Brown told The Citizen late last week. The news release, however, was not a proper forum to respond to a letter to the editor, McMenamin said. "Upon learning it was written by the mayor I was not surprised," she said. "I know city staff would not respond to a letter to the editor." Brown said "the city" wouldn't have responded at all but for the fact that some residents might believe Lenox's claims since he served as mayor prior to Brown. "All we sent was a list of bullet points that were nothing but factual," Brown said. "We gave no editorial comment. We just gave the straight facts and spreadsheets." Brown said he normally writes press releases and has public information officer Betsy Tyler review them before they are dispersed to the news media. Ironically, before he was elected to office, Brown used letters to the editor to criticize city government officials, including Lenox. Tennant rejected a claim from Brown that he wants to censor information coming from City Hall. "That's absolutely not the case," Tennant said.
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