Dear Mayor Williams:
I read with interest your article in the Natchitoches Parish Journal on April 24, 2024 entitled “Mudslinging Instead of Debating”. I am not running for Mayor so I do not understand why you chose to drag my law firm into the fray.
Your assertion that the City paid my law firm approximately $742,000 over the last four years of the Posey administration is misleading at best and dishonest at worst. Your article fails to point out that a significant portion of that sum was for reimbursement of cost and expenses advanced by my law firm on behalf of the City of Natchitoches without ever charging the City a penny of interest for the money we advanced. For example, my law firm advanced all expert witness fees incurred on behalf of the City as well as all litigation costs including costs for obtaining medical records, business records, Court reporter fees, etc. If you really wanted to lead with “integrity and transparency” as alleged in your article you would have attached a copy of my invoices for services rendered as opposed to a snapshot of a ledger. EVERY bill I sent to the City of Natchitoches was accompanied by an itemized invoice reflecting the date when work was performed, the type of work performed and the time allotted to that particular work. Please feel free to publish all the invoices submitted to the City over any period of time. If you choose to actually review these invoices you will find that the amount billed for legal services rendered is far less than $742,000.
And if you really wanted to compare legal expenses paid by the Posey administration versus legal expenses paid by your administration you would have included not only payments to Mr. Washington but payments made to the 5 Assistant City Attorneys and to out of town bond attorneys.
Your article made references to “vicious attacks” against your City Attorney and the City Clerk. I must have missed something because I have not seen any attacks by the Posey Campaign against the City Attorney or the City Clerk. Did you make this up?
I have known Alex Washington for many years and handled legal cases with him prior to your election as Mayor. Mr. Washington is both a good attorney and a good person. However, I did tell you four years ago at the time I resigned as City Attorney that I questioned the advisability of filling my position with an attorney who lives in Shreveport, works in Shreveport and pays taxes in Shreveport. I advised that every Mayor as far back as Ray Scott had always preached to the people of Natchitoches that they should “shop local”. I thought it was not a good look to hire as the City Attorney a lawyer from Shreveport when there are over 60 attorneys, African American and White, living, working and paying taxes in Natchitoches. You indicated that Mr. Washington intended to move his family to Natchitoches. That has not occurred.
And as long as we are talking about legal fees paid by the City of Natchitoches, why would the City hire two lawyers from Alexandria to defend a suit brought by Dr. Douglas W. Pesnell for the production of public records related to the receipt of grant money when the City has a designated City Attorney and 5 Assistant City Attorneys. Does the hiring of these two attorneys not violate Section 4.02 of the City Charter? This section of the City Charter provides in part:
“D. No special legal counsel shall be employed by the City except by written contract and approval of the council.”
Is there a written contract between the City and these two attorneys and was this contract approved by the council?
You talk about transparency. For several months you have alleged that your administration has received 40 million dollars in grant money. Dr. Pesnell asked for the records supporting this claim. The City delayed 5 weeks before producing these documents and only then after a suit to compel production of said documents was filed. When the documents were finally produced on April 17, 2024, they revealed your claim of having been awarded 40 million dollars in grant money to be exaggerated. Where is the transparency?
Sadly, we’ve become accustomed to last minute allegations (mudslinging as you call it) in campaigns for public office. I hope that in the final hours of this one, you will look before you speak.
Sincerely,
Ronald E. Corkern, Jr.
