Mayor Ruth Carney abruptly left an executive session Tuesday night during a performance review of the city manager, claiming it had changed into a review of her office, but her account of the incident was under dispute Wednesday.
Also Wednesday, County Judge Rick Davis said an email he sent out Monday that was critical of the city's budget process was "a knee-jerk reaction." The board approved the 2015 budget Tuesday night before the executive session.
Carney was not in the board chamber Tuesday night and did not answer a roll call when City Director Randy Fale, the acting mayor, reconvened the Hot Springs Board of Directors following the executive session and approved a one-time payment of $6,000 each to City Manager David Watkins and City Attorney Brian Albright following their performance reviews.
Fale said the mayor walked out of the board conference room before the other directors began a discussion on the one-time payment, or how much to award.
"We had just gone through an extremely difficult election and my concept is that I was in a room with a person who was my opponent and six people who voted for him and weren't happy with the results. Maybe I shouldn't say anything, but it went from a review of the city manager to a review of the mayor, and at that point I left," Carney said Wednesday in regard to abruptly leaving the executive session.
District 4 Director Pat McCabe and David Quast were candidates in the Nov. 4 election for the mayor's seat. The certified election results, after a recount in the mayoral race, showed that Carney ended the election with 40 more votes than McCabe and more than twice as many as Quast.
Some people who were present at City Hall when Carney left said she slammed the door to the board conference room as she departed, but she denied that version of events.
"I picked up my papers, said I didn't have to endure that and would leave," she told The Sentinel-Record Wednesday, noting that the discussion "got way off track," but did not give any details.
McCabe said Wednesday that he didn't see what having her opponent in the room had to do with anything, since the executive session was to review the performance of the city manager and city attorney.
"We were in an executive session and you talk about working relationships and performance. The executive session was to review the performance of the city manager and city attorney in respect to the goals we had set out and the relationships they have and their ability to work with others on the board and within the community.
"Those are generally the areas of discussion, so if someone gets upset with that level of discussion, they may need to reflect inward and see how they can assist in improving those situations," he said.
McCabe said there is "not one person" who would say that Carney left the room due to the discussion changing to a review of the mayor.
"Not one person in the room would say it was the result of the election and people being unhappy. That had nothing to do with it. She knows exactly why she left the room. She did storm out of the room, but she didn't slam the door," he said.
After Fale reconvened the board meeting following the executive session, McCabe made a motion, seconded by City Director Elaine Jones, to provide Watkins and Albright with the one-time payment of $6,000 each.
"We felt that David and Brian are functioning at a very high level and we want to recognize their abilities," McCabe in making the motion. He also said the payment would not have a negative impact on the city budget.
Before going into the executive session, the city directors unanimously approved the 2015 budget at $101,862,068, which includes a one-time payment for all city employees.
District 5 Director Karen Garcia made a motion to amend the original proposed payment from 2 percent to 2.5 percent, and noted that the increase would not affect the city's ability to maintain a two-month financial reserve, as required by the board.
Her motion passed unanimously.
"I think all the departments are working together seamlessly as a team and this budget will allow them to continue that," Watkins said before the vote.
"The budget also puts a big emphasis on maintenance and repair. The city hasn't really been good stewards in the past of its facilities, and we're playing catch up, but we're making great strides in water, wastewater, facilities, streets, and sidewalks," he said, noting that a massive sidewalk program will soon get underway.
He also told the board that the Hot Springs Metro Partnership was continued at the 2014 level of $100,000, and $12,500 was allocated for The Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce retirement relocation program used to entice people to move to Hot Springs and Garland County.
Earlier this month, Garland County justices of the peace denied the Hot Spring Metro Partnership's $75,000 appropriation request before the Hot Springs Quorum Court.
Davis told The Sentinel-Record Wednesday that an email he sent out Monday critical of the city's budget process was a result of comments he had seen on several media sources and was a "knee-jerk reaction. I shouldn't have done it."
"I don't really want to get involved in all this squabbling between Watkins and whoever. I see all this stuff that comes across my computer between Watkins and others and this stuff just needs to be shut down and be quiet.
"I don't have to do the city budget -- it's hard enough to keep an eye on our budget. I have no comment on the city budget or how they run their business. It's none of my business," he said.
Davis' email, which was in response to an article that appeared in Monday's edition of The Sentinel-Record, states, "I have a target on my back, but that's OK. Mr. Watkins is a first class manager, when revenues are flat or declining he grows his budget WOW. It amazes me that the city is about 35 square miles with a $100 million-plus annual budget, and has debt that they never look at retiring. They only look at how they can work off of more borrowed money. In my mind, this is a bad management practice for the tax payers of this community."
Davis said he believes the city and county "are real close" to getting on the same page and working together and doesn't want anything to interfere with that.
"We're trying to get the city and county back on the same page and we don't need no more stuff. I sure don't want to rock the boat because we're close to getting everybody moving forward. I do get frustrated, but we just have to keep this positive and that is my goal," he said.
Local on 12/18/2014