In the first 100 days, the Oliver Ellis administration has laid out the sketches of a tenure that is drastically different from the Mayo Administration. We didn’t get much under Mayor, and we are getting less under Ellis.
Economic development is at the core of his shifts in the first 100 days, none of which has included black economic thinkers at the table as promised.
Even though the mayor announced an ambitious “transition team” designed to forge a plan of action that included both races, in practice, the transition team has had little to do with major changes and major players such as Eddie Clark and Robert Wright have stopped attending the sessions.
The Development of downtown has been a quiet focus. It was not emphasized by the Mayo administration because much of the Downtown property is owned by Micheal Echols and family a Mayo political enemy.
Under Ellis, there has been a movement to increase city support for downtown development. It’s not surprising, since Rep. Echols was the mayor’s campaign coordinator and formed the one-man basis of his think tank.
The movements began in the first week of the Ellis administration. Using councilwoman Kema Dawson’s appointment to downtown boards, Ellis removed Earl Davis from both the Downtown Economic Board and the Riverfront Board.
Davis is one of the sharpest economic thinkers in the Black community. His removal at least one black member on each of the boards, but who lack Davis’ penchant for understanding, innovation, and implementation of economic projects.
The Mayor also removed Otis Chisely as the head of the 1-20 Economic District. It oversees about $40 million that is used to improve infrastructure and business opportunities along the I-20. The district was created in 1996 by former mayor Abe E. Pierce, III.
Chisely, who has served on the board for more than a decade is one of our community’s most knowledgeable economic practitioners. Along with Chisley, Attorneys Louis Scott and Britton were also removed as legal counsels for the district.
Several members of the Southside Economic Development District, including veteran member Wardell Coward, have received letters announcing they are being replaced. However, no replacements have been officially named.
Charles Theus says the board no longer has enough members to conduct meetings. It has been gutted, he says.
Tuesday night, the city council, without comment approved a $12.5 million deal that will funnel sales and property tax money to the Downtown District. The council did not insist upon the involvement of minorities as a prerequisite to receiving the funds.
While no member of the city council is a direct member of the DEDD, the city council president, Doug Harvey, by state law is a member of the Walnut Street Tax Increment District which encompasses properties along Walnut Street owned by Micheal Echols. It is often referred to as Echols’ private taxing district since he owns the overwhelming majority of the property in the district.
The Ellis administration is either being blindsided by inexperience or is a party to big finance deals that will benefit his campaign manager Micheal Echols who stands to indirectly gain millions as he develops his downtown properties.
There have been no initiatives by the Ellis administration to help Black business development.
All appointments of top-level leaders in the Ellis Administration have been white. He has made no Black appointments.
In the first 100 days, the mayor has reorganized city hall, without city council approval as the charter requires, held only one news conference, makes major announcements by news release, and has basically taken a very low key, tight-lipped, approach to government.
For the Southside he promotes cleanup campaigns, sprucing up the zoo, and promotes dumping and burning trash near a Black neighborhood.
The mayor dodges the media, answers few questions publically, but seems to be set on taking care of his base.
If there is more, no one knows because the mayor is invisible, except when he’s conducting a cleanup campaign.
While he passes out water to us, he passes out $12 million deals to friends.
In just the first 100 days, Ellis’ promises of “building a relationship” have fizzled into pocket lining of business interests.
