Mayor Friday Ellis continued his fight with the city council’s black majority last week when he vetoed their ordinance required council approval of all contracts.
At the heart of this controversy lies a fundamental question: Can Mayor Friday Ellis negotiate and sign contracts under $250,000 without the city council’s approval or even their knowledge? Does he have the power to operate in the dark outside of the public eye? He says yes, and the council says no.
The dispute centers around Ordinance #12225, passed in July of 2023 which grants the mayor this authority, and its recent repeal by the city council—a repeal that Mayor Ellis promptly vetoed last week.
This standoff has exposed a rift in the interpretation of Monroe’s home rule charter and raised concerns about transparency, fairness, and the balance of power in local government.
On one side, we have a city council arguing that the charter explicitly places “budgets, fees, and franchises” under their purview. They contend that allowing the mayor to issue contracts without council oversight could lead to favoritism and potentially sidestep rules on minority participation in city business.
On the other side, Mayor Ellis and his supporters argue that the $250,000 threshold represents a reasonable administrative delegation, allowing for efficient governance without undermining the council’s authority over major contracts.
The crux of the matter lies in the ambiguity of the charter’s language. While the city charter explicitly mentions the council’s authority over “franchises, leases, and fees,” it doesn’t specifically use the word “contracts.” This linguistic nuance has become the battleground for interpretation.
Adding another layer of complexity is Monroe’s status as a home rule city, which grants broader authority to the local government in interpreting its charter. This status could potentially tip the scales in favor of a more flexible interpretation of mayoral powers, but only if the city council agrees. The last council did trust the mayor, this council does not.
The controversy also touches on issues of trust, representation, and community concerns. The council majority, representing Monroe’s minority community, fears that the mayor’s unilateral contract authority could be and has been used to bypass Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) rules and favor political supporters over qualified minority contractors.
This dispute serves as a stark reminder of the importance of checks and balances in local government.
As it stands, the ambiguity in the charter and Monroe’s home rule status may provide enough leeway for Ordinance #12225 to stand, barring a successful legal challenge. However, the deeper issue—the apparent lack of trust and cooperation between the mayor’s office and the city council—remains unresolved.
Moving forward, Monroe’s leaders must find a way to bridge this divide. Whether through a court ruling, an attorney general’s opinion, or—ideally—through open dialogue and compromise, a resolution must be reached.
The citizens of Monroe deserve a government that operates with transparency, fairness, and mutual respect among its branches.
Effective governance requires trust, and it’s clear that Mayor Ellis and the Black Majority of the City council don’t trust each other.
