In theory, Monroe’s City Charter was written to keep power in check. The mayor oversees administration; the city council acts as a legislative counterweight. In practice, however, neither branch respects the other—and the people of Monroe are left paying the price.
Over the years, the mayor and the council have refined the art of doing nothing. When one acts, the other retaliates or ignores it altogether. The result is the city’s bureaucratic —“file 13,” is filled.
The pattern isn’t new. During the Jamie Mayo Administration, the city council approved budgets only to see them vetoed and replaced by the mayor’s own version.
When the council passed resolutions that didn’t fit his agenda—such as the 2015 resolution to rename the Powell Community Center after Benny J. Ausberry and Coach Eugene Hughey—they simply vanished into inaction. A full decade has passed, and even the current administration has refused to carry out the council’s decision.
That same futility continues today. In January 2025, the council voted to establish a victim notification system—a plan designed to ensure that victims of violent crime are informed about hearings, releases, and developments that affect their cases.
It was an act of compassion and justice, a measured step forward in strengthening public safety and trust. Yet, months later, not a single action has been taken to implement it. The administration has acted on the council’s resolution.
The mayor’s administration has been more interested in asserting control than in collaboration. When the council rejected his fire chief recommendation, the mayor sidestepped them altogether and secured a gubernatorial appointment to get his way. When the council sought an investigation into allegations within the fire department, the findings—if completed—have never been reported by administration.
The victim notification system should have been a shared win for Monroe—a straightforward, humane policy that neither side could reasonably oppose.
At a time when murders, shootings, and stabbings are rising, residents need reassurance that City Hall is working for them, not against itself.
Justice delayed may be justice denied, but in Monroe, even basic compassion for victims has been deferred indefinitely.
Until city leaders respect their own charter—and treat cooperation as a civic duty rather than a concession—good ideas will continue to die in file 13
