Editorial: Mayor controversy reveals lax city record-keeping

By The East Texan editorial board

On January 21, 2011

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The questions raised by the City of Commerce's lawsuit against Mayor Quay Throgmorton are almost too numerous to count, but there is one that stands out like a sore thumb. According to the official petition and other documents The East Texan has in its possession, the City of Commerce and Mayor Throgmorton entered into an agreement that he would repay all monies owed to the city upon completion of the Rosemound Addition. The project was completed in the spring of 2006. Only one payment was made by Throgmorton to the city in March of that year.

Why, then, did the city ignore the almost $50,000 debt until a concerned citizen brought it to their attention during a city council meeting more than four years after the project was completed? Was a record of this agreement and outstanding debt not kept by the city? Did the City of Commerce ignore the debt? Did they forget about it?

Whatever the reason, it is concerning The East Texan staff, many of whom are citizens of Commerce and all of whom pay sales taxes to the city, that such a large sum of money could fly under the radar for so long.

Regardless of the lawsuit's outcome, this entire issue has shaken our confidence in the City of Commerce.

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