The peeing contest between Monroe Mayor Friday Ellis and the Black members of the city council must end, or it will definitely begin expensive court fights and legislative slowdowns.
At the center of this conflict is the issue of contract negotiation authority, pitting the mayor against the newly elected, majority-Black city council.
The roots of this dispute trace back to July 2023, when the previous council granted the mayor sweeping powers to negotiate and sign contracts under $250,000 without council oversight.
This lack of transparency in the contracting process raises red flags about the circumvention of established bid procedures and the sidestepping of requirements to include Blacks, women, and disabled-owned businesses in city contracts. The mayor’s refusal to engage in dialogue with council members or disclose information about contract recipients only deepens these suspicions.
The council says seeking bids gives everyone a chance to participate in city procurements and sets rules that require black participation in the process. The new policy speeds up processes because the mayor does not have to seek bids but can make deals with favorite friends for contracts without worrying about bid laws or meeting quotas to hire blacks and women.
Last month, the council passed an ordinance taking back that authority, and the mayor vetoed it. White members of the council won’t vote with the black majority to force the mayor to be fair to all and to operate in full public view instead of in secret negotiations.
In response, Tuesday the council passed a resolution capping the mayor’s independent contracting authority at $30,000 – a move that sets the stage for a potential legal showdown because the council says the mayor’s unauthorized contracts won’t be paid.
Good governance demands transparency and accountability, not opaque decision-making that fuels speculation and erodes public confidence.
The mayor must recognize that working constructively with the council – particularly its Black majority – is essential for effective governance and the progress of Monroe. The Mayor’s promise to keep vetoing council ordinances is depressing because it foreshadows a gloomy future of constant bickering.
If a resolution cannot be reached through negotiation, the matter may indeed end up in court, which will only serve to waste taxpayer resources and further divide the community.
The citizens of Monroe deserve better than this political gridlock. The council represents the will of the people. The mayor’s job is to execute the will of the people.
Monroe’s population is 63 percent Black. The mayor cannot continue to give us the finger and expect that we won’t fight back.
We think the council is right. There should be no unauthorized backroom contract deals done in the dark that exclude our people. Period.
As long as Mayor Ellis chooses to fight us, then the city council has no choice but to fight back.
How long?
Until hell freezes over.
