McCallister tells mayor: “You’re going to be impeached, Buddy.”
By Dave Peyton
Sept 23 2002
The night belonged to Councilman Tom McCallister Monday as Huntington City Council
met and heard the councilman tell Huntington Mayor David Felinton that the mayor’s
impeachment “is coming on like a freight train.”
Despite denials from council that its investigation into budgetary matters is
an investigation that will lead to the impeachment of the mayor, McCallister looked
directly at the mayor and told him “Make no mistake about it. This council
wants to impeach you…. And if anyone says it was never mentioned in executive
session, they are lying…. You’re going to be impeached, Buddy.
Get your bags packed.”
Council took up 16 items on its agenda, but six items sponsored by McCallister
were either defeated or received no second.
An ordinance vetoing the reappointment of George McClennen as director of public
worked, sponsored by McCallister, was voted down with McCallister and Councilman
Charlie Thompson being the only yes votes.
“We gave McClennen a list of things to report on and he has not complied,”
McCallister said. “That is insubordination. We need a person in public works
to do the duties and he (McClennen) is not doing that,” McCallister said.
About two weeks ago, Felinton removed McClennen as public works director but left
him with the duties as city engineer. Then last week, Felinton rescinded his action
and re-appointed McClennen as both city engineer and public works director.
“Sometimes you have to look at things and rescind your actions,” the
mayor said.
An order sponsored by McCallister directing the mayor to comply with an ordinance
concerning urban forestry died for lack of a second. Everyone except McCallister
rejected another McCallister-sponsored ordinance directing the Huntington Municipal
Development Authority and the Huntington Urban Renewal Authority to use city departments
and personnel instead of contracting work with the Huntington Area Development
Council.
Everyone except McCallister voted down a resolution of council recognizing the
English language as the official language of the City of Huntington. McCallister
sponsored that resolution.
The mayor objected to the resolution.
“Where is the threat? How is English disappearing? It’s insulting to
me and to many people in this community,” the mayor said.
Huntington resident Will Edwards said the resolution “sends a parochial low
level statement to people in the community trying to do economic development.
Andrew Schneider, executive director of the West Virginia Chapter of the American
Civil Liberties Union said that such a resolution would “discriminate on
the basis of national origin and is in direct opposition to the 14th Amendment.
Huntington resident John Vance sided with McCallister
“This is America. People should learn our language or go back where they
came from. This is America and we speak English,” Vance said.
Two resolutions offered by McCallister which would have essentially called for
removing all members of the Huntington Municipal Development Authority and the
Huntington Urban Renewal Authority were snubbed by council. The resolution concerning
the Huntington Municipal Development Authority was tabled while the one dealing
with the Huntington Urban Renewal Authority died for lack of a second. At that
point, McCallister asked to be excused and left his seat at the council table
only to return just prior to the Good and Welfare portion of the meeting.
McCallister charged that the Huntington Municipal Development Authority “has
placed us into monstrous debt. Council needs to reappoint people on this authority
and do away with (former Mayor) Jean Dean’s people. Whoever was controlling
Jean Dean at the time is still in control.”
During the meeting, Mayor Felinton made a plea to council to let him know “what
I am being charged with. It’s clear you are looking into allegations and
I have a constitutional right under the 14th Amendment to know what I am being
charged with.”
Jim Insco, the vice-chair of council who was interim chair Tuesday night due to
the absence of Cal Kent, told the mayor that the investigation is not directed
toward bringing charges against him for the purpose of impeachment.
But McCallister disagreed. The maverick councilman claimed again and again
that impeachment was brought up in executive session.
“I personally would love to impeach you,” McCallister told the mayor.
“But I will have a hard time voting for impeachment because the people they
have mentioned to take your job is just a continuation of the former administration.”
In other action, Council approved an ordinance designating Ninth Avenue from 8th
Street to 25th Street to be known as Carter G. Woodson Avenue to honor the African
American who was born and taught in Huntington before going on to become a renowned
black American educator.
The ordinance was approved with all but McCallister voting in the affirmative.
Councilman Larry Patterson noted that previously, McCallister had voted to designate
a portion of Third Avenue as Herd Avenue. McCallister said he had done that but
was not in favor of naming any streets or avenues in Huntington after people.
Council unanimously enacted an ordinance authorizing the mayor to buy salt from
the North American Salt Company for $34.40 a ton, down from $40 a ton last year.
It also approved a resolution that will allow Community Block Grant money to be
used for certain costs involving a proposed West End Fire Station. Council also
approved a resolution that allows encumbered balances from last year’s budget
to be brought into this year’s budget so the bills can be paid.
Council also approved a resolution in support of “labor’s freedom of
choice.” The resolution calls for management of certain programs within the
Southwestern Community Action Agency to remain neutral as employees discuss the
possibility of unionizing.
Among those speaking during the public comment period at the end of the meeting
was 79-year-old Novella Gipson. She said she raised and educated three children
who have left Huntington. And from what she has been seeing lately at council
meetings “I wouldn’t want my children to come back to Huntington and
I’m sorry I stayed.”