Duncanville City Council notes - 5/5/09

by Brian Allen of Best Southwest Citizen

With another hotly anticipated election days away, one would expect the Duncanville City Council would be in midseason form. The council’s May 5 meeting didn’t disappoint.

Taking center stage in this political drama (or comedy, if you prefer) is District 3 Councilman Paul Ford, embroiled in a battle with his predecessor Anthony Skinner. Other key players include At-Large Council Woman Dorothy Burton, who faces Buck Werner in Saturday’s election, and District 5 Councilwoman Johnette Jameson, who is challenged by Gerald Hill.

This was the group’s first meeting since police escorted Ford out of council chambers after Mayor David Green ruled Ford disrupted the meeting by speaking off topic.

Ford continued his message that corruption runs rampant at Duncanville City Hall and brought forth more allegations. On this night he questioned the relationship between Paradigm Traffic Systems, Green and District 4 Councilman Grady Smithey.

Paradigm was on the council agenda because it had a bid of $184,020 for traffic signalization cabinets and accessories. Paradigm executive Jeffrey Bryan donated money to the 2008 re-election campaigns of Green and Smithey.

Ford called for Smithey and Green to recuse themselves due to a conflict of interest.

“I shall vote against this contract because, in my opinion, it looks too much like a payoff,” Ford said.

Former District 4 Councilwoman Deborah Hodge questioned the donation during the 2008 campaign, at which time Smithey said when realized the potential conflict he opted to return the donation. He reiterated that at the May 5 meeting.

Ford also referenced the “new city council policy” of arresting people who disagree with the mayor. Green cautioned Ford to remain on topic as he pursued this line of argument.

Smithey asked City Attorney Bob Hager if he should recuse himself to which Hager said there was no need.

Green said he would recuse himself to be certain everything was above board.

“I will recuse myself because I don’t want that to be a blight on the vote,” Green said. He turned the meeting over to Burton, who serves as mayor pro tem.

Even though the city attorney had told Smithey he didn’t have to recuse himself, the veteran councilman did so reluctantly. He said the incident represented a “new level of paranoia.”

The contract with Paradigm passed by a 3-2 margin, with Ford and Jameson in opposition. The 2008 election offered Ford and his supporters a chance to change the council dynamic with Green up for re-election. This year, the best they can do would be to re-establish a 4-3 count by defeating Burton. But that assumes that if Buck Werner were to defeat Burton, that he might ally himself with Ford.

If Duncanville politics has taught observers anything, it’s that it is quite impossible to predict what might happen next.