Ferriday aldermen override Bingo veto

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, December 15, 2010

FERRIDAY — With Mayor Glen McGlothin’s veto flat lining video bingo in the Town of Ferriday, the alderman stepped in and pulled out the paddles Tuesday night to revive the issue once again for a vote in January.

Needing four votes to successfully override the veto, the aldermen got just that.

Gail Pryor, Johnnie Brown, Gloria Lloyd and Elijah “Stepper” Banks all voted to override the veto while Somer Lance voted in support of the mayor’s decision.

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While McGlothin said he was still unsupportive of the issue, he did say the town needs to get the best possible deal for a bingo hall in the town limits.

“When you cut the pie, everyone wants a bite,” he said. “I have gotten calls from two other people who said they are interested if this passes.”

McGlothin said changes need to be made to the ordinance before it is brought back for another vote.

“It needs to be clarified more than anything,” he said.

Questions on the location of the bingo hall, what charities will benefit and where the town is going to use the money it receives were all brought up by residents and aldermen.

Ferriday resident the Rev. Justin Conner said he just wanted to make sure the money was going to go toward something the town needs.

“I want to know where it is going,” he said. “I just don’t want the money sitting there.”

Banks said while the original ordinance did not state where the town’s portion of the money was going, he intended it for recreation, and would clarify that before the next vote.

Ferriday resident Liz Brooking said the charities that benefit from the bingo hall have to be federally regulated charities, and no local or state charities qualify for support.

Pryor said the location has not been finalized because it has still not been officially approved.

Ferriday resident the Rev. Simeon Green said he wanted to know the reasons why those who voted in favor of the ordinance supported it.

Pryor said she was in support of the ordinance because people should be able to do anything they want with their money.

“People are going to do what they want to do with their money,” she said. “And if we have something they spend their money on that supports Ferriday, why not let them have it?”

Lloyd said she was in support of video bingo, not because she wants it, but because the people in her district do.

“Whether I want it or not doesn’t matter,” she said.

McGlothin said he hopes the money will go to good use if the vote passes once again at the next meeting.

“I would hope and pray that the money would go to the people that need it,” he said. “Because God knows we have people that need it.”

In other news:

4 The issue of legal fees owed to former Mayor Sammy Davis was pushed back to the next meeting in January because the issue was not advertised far enough in advance for it to make it on the agenda.

McGlothin said the reason it did not make it to the newspaper stems from many of his employees getting sick over the past few weeks.

“I would love to get this over with,” he said. “Both of my clerks have been sick, and they must have forgotten to double check that it got sent.”

4 The aldermen passed a resolution to apply for a grant for $35,000 for the Community Water Enrichment Fund.

McGlothin said the money is to sandblast and fix leaks at the current water plant.

“We need this plant to limp along for two more years before we get the new one,” he said. “We know we are going to get the (grant) money, we just have to apply for it.”

4 A vote for a 6-percent salary increase to all Ferriday employees was delayed until the next meeting.

McGlothin said he wants to have a report done on the proposed increase before voting on the issue.