Sept 27 Budget Hearings RETRACTION

When confronted with facts, it's always a good idea to change your story.
Wilmer Public Citizen always defers to new facts whenever they become apparent and express our gratitude to those who help set the record straight. As to any embarrassment our previous article may have caused the city, see our apology in today's Editorial post.


We are informed that the meeting notice was properly published in the Ellis County Press on August 30 and our report that the meeting violated statutory notice provisions may have been in error. Telephone inquiries to the Ellis County Press on September 25 revealed no such publication as far back as August 6. Publication has not yet been confirmed by the Ellis County Press (ED NOTE: WILL UPDATE AS REQUIRED)upon our subsequent inquiry as the Legal Notice may have been initially overlooked. We are willing to concede that our report may have been in error.

We would also like to report that the City Secretary responded with the FYE 2006 Audit Report requested in our Public Information Act request.

However, we will remind readers that the information was denied for public inspection by a city official two days before the proposed meeting, which remains beyond the statutory authority of the city. Notice provisions notwithstanding, the denial of public inspection as mandated within the specified time is noncompliant.

The lone citizen arrived at 7:27 according to her watch, just as the meeting was adjourning. Insiders confirmed the meeting was started at 7:30 by a clock on the wall and was over in less than five minutes. This reporter arrived at 7:35 by my clock only to be greeted by a small group of departing council members in the parking lot and City Administrator Thom Lauer gleefully announcing that we had missed the meeting. Councilwoman Tiny Lange did not attend the meeting. Councilman Wickliffe was not observed in the parking lot.