More than two years after a public corruption conviction toppled its longtime mayor, Bayou La Batre is still working to restore trust in City Hall, according to residents and council members who describe an administration navigating staffing shortages, tense meetings and lingering suspicion.
A recent city council meeting in the fishing town of roughly 2,600 people illustrated the strain. The packed agenda included a six-figure payment to PNC Bank, a $10,000 payment to Regions Bank, $30,000 in routine bill payments, cost-of-living raises for the city’s 47 employees, an annexation request in the Coden community, and the proposed purchase of a used pickup truck for the fire department. Council members also had to catch up on approving minutes from meetings dating back three months, after two key employees left the city clerk’s office and workers from other departments stepped in to handle basic administrative tasks like stuffing envelopes and recording meetings.
The scandal that continues to shadow city government centers on former mayor Stan Wright, who was convicted of public corruption and is now serving time in federal prison. Prosecutors said Wright engineered a deal for the city to purchase property owned by his daughter and tried to damage the career of a police investigator who reported the transaction to the FBI. Wright, described by former colleagues as a domineering and combative figure at the dais, was succeeded by current Mayor Brett Dungan, who was elected in September 2013.
Residents who have taken on clerical duties at City Hall say the corruption era left a mark on how people view local government. One community center manager, who has been helping with office work, said she doesn’t fully understand the level of distrust some residents carry toward the current administration, noting that questions were rarely raised of the previous mayor.
Tensions surfaced again at a recent meeting that included audience outbursts and accusations of financial mismanagement. Much of the friction traces back to the resignation of a council member from the Place 5 seat after her restaurant received a city contract to cater a December dinner; although she did not vote on the contract, she stepped down amid rumors and speculation. A local blog focused on town affairs has also kept scrutiny on the council and mayor, who campaigned on promises of transparency.
Council members describe a mayor still adjusting to public office after decades running a private shipbuilding company. He faced criticism in January over a proposal to renovate a conference room attached to his office, and more recently over roughly $1,800 in mileage and meal reimbursements tied to regional meetings. The finance committee chair said she tabled that item after an itemized breakdown showed the town would also be covering meals and other incidental expenses, adding that she wants the administration to follow proper procedures rather than act first and seek council ratification afterward.
The mayor has also drawn scrutiny for arranging a $50,000 line of credit from Regions Bank on his own last year to keep the town running during a seasonal revenue lull, a step council members say should have gone through the same process used for a similar loan arranged with council involvement in 2013. Council members say they are hopeful the city can move past the friction as new financial controls take hold, even as some residents continue pressing for greater transparency from town leadership.