Bland Mayor Lee Medlock led aldermen on a 25-minute discussion Monday night about whether the board should compensate the city clerk for doing both her work and filling in the vacant treasurer’s position for the past month. When introducing the discussion, he mentioned emails that were sent and a vote taken.

The Maries County Advocate requested a copy of the emails Medlock mentioned through the Sunshine Law and received the following documents with an explanation from Bland Court Clerk Rachel Anderson.

Acknowledging the vacant city treasurer position and the need to make payroll and pay city bills, Medlock in May asked Anderson if she would fill the role until they found someone. Anderson said she would, but she would not fulfill all the treasurer’s duties as well as her own for free.

Anderson said she believed that the vacancy was an emergency which would therefore allow her to request the board approve compensation for her to move forward with doing the treasurer’s work temporarily. She confirmed with The Advocate that she wrote an email and contacted Medlock for approval to send it; which he gave.

The following email was sent on May 29, 2019, at 12:54 p.m.: “Due to the vacated position of treasurer and the lack of timing for a meeting. This email will serve as an official vote of the board of alderman. Please ‘Reply All’ when casting your vote or commenting.

“The city clerk has been filling in for the position of treasurer and is expected to do so until the position is filled. Because of these additional duties that are not required, I am asking the board to compensate the clerk at the same rate of pay for the position of treasurer until such time as someone else is hired. The rate of pay would be compensated as a monthly stipend rather than hourly.”

Alderman Josh Jarvis replied May 29 at 1:38 p.m., that, “I agree that there should be a stipend to cover that work load until the position is filled. So my vote is YES.”

Alderman Diana Mayfield responded May 29 at 12:54 p.m., “I move to approve a monthly stipend of $880 to cover the treasurer’s workload to be paid to the city clerk until such time as a treasure is hired.”

Alderman Sherry Spradling responded May 29 at 2:11 p.m., “I Sherry Spradling seconded the motion to pay Rachel Anderson $880 per month until a new treasurer is hired.”

Alderman Tommy Thompson does not have an email address and did not cast a vote electronically. Anderson confirmed that she did reach out to him via telephone for his vote, and left a voicemail. However, Thompson told Anderson he never received it.

Following the June 10 meeting, Anderson said the board later learned that the vacancy did not constitute an emergency. 

“Please note that the city was advised after the matter that a vacancy in treasurer did not constitute an emergency and therefore, the actions taken in the vote were not acted upon until the vote was revisited at a public forum that was held last night,” Anderson said via email.

A “compensation” line item was not on the June 10 agenda prior to the meeting.