TIM PRATT
STARKVILLE — The Starkville Board of Aldermen might not have the votes to override the mayor’s recent veto of Susan Tomlinson’s appointment to the Starkville School District board of trustees, but aldermen plan to try it anyway Tuesday night in City Hall.
Aldermen appointed Tomlinson to fill the vacant school board seat on March 16, but Mayor Parker Wiseman issued a veto two days later, saying the school board should be representative of the students it serves. The school district is approximately 64 percent black, but Tomlinson, who is white, would make the school board 80 percent white. Wiseman also said race should play a role in the selection process, but it shouldn’t be the determining factor.
Ward 2 Alderwoman Sandra Sistrunk on Friday said the Board of Aldermen most likely will attempt to override Wiseman’s veto at Tuesday’s meeting.
“I have hopes that (the override) will pass, but I don’t think we’ll have enough (votes),” Sistrunk said.
At least five aldermen must vote in favor of an override, City Attorney Chris Latimer said last week. Aldermen approved Tomlinson’s appointment to school board with a 5-2 vote, but one of the five aldermen in favor of her appointment, Ward 5 Alderman Jeremiah Dumas, said he plans to recuse himself from any school board appointment proceedings due to a potential conflict of interest.
Dumas’ decision to recuse himself was based on a state Ethics Commission opinion which interprets state law as forbidding any alderman or mayor from appointing someone to a municipal separate school board if it results in a monetary benefit for himself, his relative or his business. Dumas’ wife, Hope, teaches third grade at Overstreet Elementary School in the Starkville School District.
The Ethics Commission has advised aldermen and other public servants in Dumas’ position to recuse themselves from voting on appointments to the school board to avoid any appearance of impropriety.
Without Dumas, only four aldermen who voted in favor of Tomlinson are left to attempt an override.
Read complete article at Commercial Dispatch.
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