by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
After almost an hour of sometimes heated discussion between City Council member Pat Lockett-Felder and Council president Jerry Holland over Lockett-Felder’s trip to Memphis this weekend, Holland relented on an earlier decision and signed off on the trip.
The meeting was called between the two Council members after Holland previously denied signing Lockett-Felder’s travel request. According to Holland, Lockett-Felder didn’t follow Council rules regarding the booking of airlines tickets, which say that the trip must first be approved by the Council president before the ticket may be purchased. Holland also didn’t believe the trip was a good example of spending taxpayer money.
(Each Council member is allotted $3,000 for work-related travel. Holland pointed out the allotment is actually an allowance that he has the discretion to approve.)
Lockett-Felder responded by pointing out that Holland was out of town at the League of Cities and couldn’t approve the trip. She also was accompanied by over a dozen of her District 7 constituents, including several ministers and businessmen.
Before the meeting, the atmosphere in Conference Room A was tense.
“He [Holland] doesn’t like me because I don’t kiss up to him,” said Lockett-Felder. “I didn’t vote for him [in the Council president election], but this is America. I didn’t vote for Mayor John Delaney, but we are friends.”
For much of the meeting Holland defended his position by questioning the need for Lockett-Felder to go on the trip. Apparently, two staff members from the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission have already seen the Memphis restaurant owned by actor Isaac Hayes and are looking into the feasibility of bringing a location to Lockett-Felder’s district. Lockett-Felder and her constituents contended they wanted to see the restaurant first-hand and admitted they may not like what Lockett-Felder tells them.
The trip will cost $430, plus one night’s lodging and a daily $25 per diem for meals.