Letter to the Editor

Councilman Jones should resign

Thursday, June 14, 2018

To the editor:

I’m not sure what concerns me more: the fact that an elected Councilman (Chair) of the Parks and Recreation Committee would not support having legal contracts between the City of Blytheville and its vendors, or the inappropriate and unprofessional manner he used to express his position.

According to the Courier News, R.L. Jones, Chair of the Parks and Recreation Committee chaired a meeting of the Committee last Thursday during which:

• R.L. Jones stated: “you can do whatever you want to do, but count me out of it. And that goes for the Council, too.”

• Jones got up and left the meeting without adjourning.

• The vendor in question, Tunson, does not have a license to operate within the city, and when asked if the city had a contract on the building, Jones responded it was not necessary and ‘there ain’t been a contract on it” since Tommy Little was Mayor.

I believe the Citizens of Blytheville deserve better. Much better. R.L. Jones is not sufficiently equipped to hold the position of Chair, Parks and Recreation Committee let alone a position of Councilman.

• Jones lacks the appropriate judgment to protect the city in its dealings with vendors by requiring proper contracts and documentation,

• Has not taken steps to modernize best practices since the 1970s, and has held on to practices that may have worked two generations ago but do not work today,

• Is unprofessional and uninformed in meetings, lacks proper engagement, instigating contention and not inviting appropriate and professional dialogue,

• Lacks expertise and executive presence to be grammatically articulate, and represent the city in a manner it deserves.

Greydon Williams kindly said in his editorial today, “It is time to let the best for the job do the job and do it efficiently and clearly, if members of the council can’t understand that maybe they should take a step down.”

As for me, I recommend the Citizens of Blytheville call for the resignation of R.L. Jones.

— Susan Sylvester Zimmerman