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At Tuesday night’s Helena-West Helena City Council meeting, Councilman Marvin Jarrett presented a resolution calling for the censure of Alderman Joe St. Columbia for allegedly authoring, publishing and disseminating a derogatory email. On Wednesday morning, Mayor Arnell Willis issued a press release stating his intentions to veto Jarrett’s resolution.
Jarrett in a press release Monday accused St. Columbia of authoring an email allegedly laced with racial overtones.
“I am very disturbed by this email,” stated Jarrett in the press release. “We have a public official in 2011 that is making these unashamed racist, idiotic, capricious, worthless remarks.”
Jarrett went on to state that St. Columbia should be held accountable for his remarks and demanded a public apology at Tuesday’s council session. He also called for the council to censure St. Columbia.
In a Tuesday interview, St. Columbia denied writing or disseminating the derogatory email.
“I attend church where the minister and assistant minister are both black,” he said. “Would I do that if I was a racist?”
No apology was forthcoming at Tuesday’s council session.
“To allow the passage of this resolution is an insult to one of our community’s most respected leaders,” stated Willis. “I will state again that Alderman Joe St. Columbia is not a racist and he owes no apology to the Helena-West Helena City Council or the citizens of Ward 2.
“Therefore, I, Arnell Willis, as mayor of Helena-West Helena have no choice but to veto the city council’s actions taken on April 5,” he concluded.
At Tuesday night’s Helena-West Helena City Council meeting, Councilman Marvin Jarrett presented a resolution calling for the censure of Alderman Joe St. Columbia for allegedly authoring, publishing and disseminating a derogatory email. On Wednesday morning, Mayor Arnell Willis issued a press release stating his intentions to veto Jarrett’s resolution.
Jarrett in a press release Monday accused St. Columbia of authoring an email allegedly laced with racial overtones.
“I am very disturbed by this email,” stated Jarrett in the press release. “We have a public official in 2011 that is making these unashamed racist, idiotic, capricious, worthless remarks.”
Jarrett went on to state that St. Columbia should be held accountable for his remarks and demanded a public apology at Tuesday’s council session. He also called for the council to censure St. Columbia.
In a Tuesday interview, St. Columbia denied writing or disseminating the derogatory email.
“I attend church where the minister and assistant minister are both black,” he said. “Would I do that if I was a racist?”
No apology was forthcoming at Tuesday’s council session.
“To allow the passage of this resolution is an insult to one of our community’s most respected leaders,” stated Willis. “I will state again that Alderman Joe St. Columbia is not a racist and he owes no apology to the Helena-West Helena City Council or the citizens of Ward 2.
“Therefore, I, Arnell Willis, as mayor of Helena-West Helena have no choice but to veto the city council’s actions taken on April 5,” he concluded.
