MANSFIELD — Mansfield City Councilman At-Large Don Bryant said Friday he plans to request legislation to add bipartisan council representation (one Democrat, one Republican) to the city’s Downtown Improvement Advisory Board.
In an e-mailed press release, Bryant said his request comes after Mayor Tim Theaker told council members on Tuesday evening they are not allowed to attend advisory board meetings.
City Council created the board in May 2018 in conjunction with a newly enacted license plate tax increase to generate funds for downtown improvements. The tax, which the city began collecting Jan. 1, is estimated to raise about $220,000 annually.
“This is not what we were told when we approved the creation of this board,” Bryant said in his press release. “The mayor’s response on this issue is an immediate disregard to the people of Mansfield.”
The board consists of the mayor and six members appointed by the mayor, all of whom must be confirmed by council. Council did not create any positions for council members when it created the board.
The purpose of the board is to reinvent and revitalize Mansfield’s downtown and to seek creative avenues to strategically maximize grants and other revenue streams for downtown improvement projects. Moreover, the board is to encourage collaboration between the City of Mansfield and local residents.
The board has no authority to spend public funds. It develops ideas and submits them to council, which has spending power and can either approve, modify or reject proposals from the board.
When Richland Source reviewed Wednesday the legislation council approved last year, it noted the board was to create operational guidelines and submit them to council for approval. That has not happened since the board began meeting last summer.
Byrant, one of two Democratic candidates for mayor on the May 7 primary ballot along with Victoria Norris-Diez, said he questioned Theaker’s desire to remain transparent with the advisory board.
“City government is not a private business and taxpayer dollars are not for private use. What is the mayor hiding and why is he minimalizing the voice of the people? Downtown Improvement Advisory Board meetings involve the planning and eventual spending of taxpayer dollars. This is a public process and the moment City Council approved the creation of this board, it should have been understood that the board needs to be open and transparent,” Bryant said in his release.
When asked by Richland Source why council didn’t put its members on the board from the start, Bryant said, “I had a feeling that something would be needed to make sure the board would be transparent. But at the same time, I didn’t expect things to transpire like it has. I didn’t believe the mayor would ever directly say people wouldn’t be welcome to participate on that board. I’ve known him for a while and I haven’t seen him react like that.”
Bryant said it’s not the first time he has asked the mayor about the board.
“I have asked on three different occasions now to participate on that board and for council to have access to the (board). He’s dodged that question each time. That’s why I asked him at the public forum in council earlier this week,” Bryant said.
Bryant told Richland Source the ideas put forth by the board this week are fine.
“But again, transparency is needed regarding the items being purchased, where they’re being purchased, what’s the bigger plan for the purchases, etc. I want a strong downtown community. But again, we’re working with taxpayer dollars here. Locking council out of the process is not good for the public trust,” he said.
