It's just money.
During the April 23 Carthage City Council meeting, council member Lori Leece asked what on the face of it would appear to be an important question.
The contract the council would vote on a few moments later, however, called not only for the $25,000 for the investigation, but also for expenses.
Leece asked what those expenses would be.
Seemed like a good question.
Impeachment ringleader Tiffany Cossey, using the tone of voice that showed her irritation that someone felt the need to ask how much of the taxpayers' money was going to be spent, dismissed the question with that kind of tone you use when a child is getting unruly.
It might be for mileage, Cossey said, or it might be for lodging if they had to have any overnight stays.
Mileage and lodging can add up quickly, but it's just taxpayer money.
The council voted 7-2 with Cossey, Jana Schramm, Terri Heckmaster, Alan Snow, Derek Peterson, Dustin Edge and Tom Barlow approving the contract and Leece and Chris Taylor voting "no."
Cossey wasn't finished.
Following what from all intents and purposes appears to have been a heated closed session, Cossey, who has already led what may have been an unsuccessful effort to fire City Administrator Greg Dagnan (it depends on your definition of the word "and") and who has Rife in her sights went after City Attorney Greg Dally.
During the closed session, Cossey accused Dally of sending a text message to a law enforcement officer with the information that a Carthage business owner, who had spoken at a previous meeting, had an outstanding warrant. Cossey claimed Dally targeted the woman because of what she said at the council meeting. Dally denied that was his intent, even though he acknowledged sending the text.
The information about the business owner was public information that is available through the state of Missouri's case.net system.
When the council returned to open session, Cossey offered a motion to ask the mayor to suspend Dally, even though Dally's last day as city attorney is May 10. The motion passed by a 6-3 vote with Cossey, Schramm, Heckmaster, Snow, Peterson and Edge voting yes and Leece, Taylor and Barlow voting against the measure.
It didn't matter. Rife wasn't going to suspend Dally.
That didn't stop Cossey from continuing her rampage.
Cossey, the perpetual motion machine, next made a motion to write a letter to the Missouri Bar Association notifying it of what she termed as Dally's unethical behavior. Schramm quickly parroted a second.
Barlow tried to stop where this was heading by noting that taking a step like that should at least involve an investigation.
Cossey pushed onward, claiming this was just the latest instance of targeting in the city and this time, the vote went against her.
Only Schramm and Peterson voted with Cossey, while Leece, Taylor, Barlow, Edge and Snow voted "no" and Heckmaster abstained.
The council will meet in another special session 6:30 p.m. Monday in the Carthage Water and Electric Plant community room.
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By Missouri law when Dally gave his notice he can't be fired. He could be suspended, but only with pay. If the Missouri Bar is contacted it should be about Cossey.
ReplyDeleteSomeone needs to Sunshine council members’ emails, texts, phone records between them. Leece is the ONLY person asking questions. Everyone else is in lockstep because they are conspiring together outside of the public meetings.
ReplyDeleteThe public access version of Case.net DID NOT HAVE THAT INFORMATION. It had her address, social security number and date of birth. Dally used his authority as the city attorney to access that information and then to text it out to a group of friends, saying she could easily be found at her place of business to be arrested. This is a violation of his duties as the city attorney. How would you or anyone reading this like it for Nate Dally to text out your social security number and date of birth, full legal name and address out to cyberspace? You wouldn't? Oh that is because it is NOT ETHICAL FOR HIM TO DO SO. People who support Dally, Dagnan and Rife love to disregard what they are doing to people, both past and present. Carthage citizens I might add. Good for Cossey and the rest of the council to get rid of them. And Nate should be turned into the Mo Bar for his horribly unethical behavior. He said he did it as a joke - BS. And even if he was kidding, he was trying to ruin someone because they disagreed with him.
ReplyDeleteCasenet clearly says much more than that. Cossey is doing whatever she can to get Dally back for getting her censured in the first place.
DeleteBro. 😂 Maybe don’t break the law and you won’t have people turning you into law enforcement for your outstanding warrants. Dally has a duty to uphold the law. I would be more concerned if he did not report what he knew.
Delete03/17/2023
Warrant Issd Failure to Appear
Document ID: 23-29MFA-1277, for ORSCHELN, HEATHER LYNETTE Bond Amount: 225.00 $225 CASH W/ GUILTY PLEA OR $500 SURETY LEVEL 2
Both comments, @9:18 and @10:14 hit the nail on the head.
ReplyDeleteAt first, the doings of this new council were so absurd, it was somewhat entertaining to watch. Now, it's just pathetic. What is really happening in Carthage?
The people of this town deserve much better.
Dally admitted to sending the text. Carthage citizens beware. If you speak out against Dagnan and Rife you might find yourself a target. They abuse their power to silence anyone who might not agree with
ReplyDeleteThis is one of the major Problems with Politicians, they don't understand that the Money they Use or Waste is the Taxpayers Money and that they feel they have Free Discretion to Spend Freely however they want, without a clear thought of Wasting the Taxpayers Money or Time. So the Next Time the City wants to Increase Taxes, we should stand up and Vote No and Educate them on all the Money and Time they have Wasted.
ReplyDeleteI hope that the Citizens of Carthage would figure out who they have elected to office and either Vote them Out or Start a Campaign to Remove them. Remember you get who you Vote Into Office!
Carthage City Council looks even more Stupid than Joplin and Neosho / Newton County and that is hard to do. Small Town Politics - Got to Love the Idiocy of it all.
Didn't this just happen in March - The City of Carthage and Ward 5 Councilwoman Tiffany Cossey have reached an agreement following the censure proceedings initiated against Cossey over allegations of creating a hostile work environment. She is Posting Videos on Facebook / Meta and using other Social Media outlets outside the Standard Guidelines of Council Procedures.
ReplyDeleteIs she the Karen of Carthage, Whining when she does not get her way?
All you Carthage Idiots - You were Elected to Serve the People of your Community not your own agendas.
Maybe the question should be how many times has Cossey asked bout other warrants or charges made by Dally or is she targeting him for sharing one just because it’s her friend / supporter. Don’t cross the CCU or they will fire you even if you only have 10 days of work left. She just wants her pound of flesh but he resigned and left on his own terms and she cannot handle it.
ReplyDeleteDang she single?
ReplyDeleteRandy, I think you have the name of the St Louis lawyer wrong.It is Paul Martin.
ReplyDeleteI think @7:17 is on to something............we just need to refer to her as Karthage Karen !!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWould appreciate some unbiased reporting.
ReplyDeleteWhat's your complaint 5:25?
ReplyDeleteAre you disappointed with the Globe's coverage of Carthage's Kook Coup?
Or is it that you don't like seeing facts about who is doing what here at Turner Report?
Or are you just mad someone peed in your cheeroios again?
Unbiased Reporting/Facts - Is why would the Citizens of Carthage Vote in Idiots to run their Community, they all clearly do not understand their Jobs, Council Procedures, None of them Know or Understand, "Robert's Rules of Order", or Missouri Sunshine Laws, Ethics, even with a County Attorney and a Council Person, being an Attorney. You just cannot Dream-Up this type of Incohesive Mess, or maybe it is in the Dictionary Defining, Local Politics.
ReplyDelete