The following opinion was written by former Jasper City Councilwoman Hazel Johnson:
MAYOR RANDY SAYERS IS CLUELESS!
1. Mayor Randy Sayers sets the City Council’s agenda and has refused to put on the agenda to discuss Proposition “A “that the taxpayers passed by a 5 to 1 margin last May 2022 Election.
2. In an interview with Jay Sharp, “Not on the Payroll,” on March 12th 2023, Sayers admitted he was for the Kramer Broadband project that would have cost us, the taxpayers, over $16 million dollars. It did cost the taxpayers $500,000 to get out of the contract, in addition to $25,000 for several months to the consultant, Nathan Watkins. It is clear, Sayers is NOT a good steward of taxpayer’s money! The broadband project is coming up again. So, a vote for Sayers means the city will be back in the broadband business again!
3. In the same interview, Sayers said he was against giving the SRMPA electric refunds back to the taxpayers to help with their utility bills, but that he wanted to put the money towards infrastructure. It’s already being discussed to bring back the broadband project again, so he will surely be “FOR” getting the City of Japer back into the broadband business. Sayers has served on the city council and is in his second term serving as Mayor. WHERE is the infrastructure that he’s referring to? He asked in the Not on the Payroll video (March 12th), what will his legacy be? The city has had over $44 million dollars from the SRPMA (Sam Rayburn Power Municipal Agency) and he and his council are trying their best to spend every penny of it and not give it back to the citizens on their utility bills. (Anderson Land has been against the city being in the broadband business and will be against it as your Mayor!)
4. Mayor Sayers, David Shultz, and Michael Daniel held meetings making decisions outside council chambers. Sayers, Shultz, and Daniel were caught in a meeting at the Jasper Lake Sam Rayburn Chamber of Commerce/JEDCO building by Debbie Foster. According to Foster, when she entered the room, Sayers immediately attacked her by getting up in her face, (nose to nose) cussing her and spitting while doing so. NO ONE should be treated like that, especially from the Mayor of our City, an elected official.
5. According to City Attorney, Michael Stewart Ratcliff, the alcohol ordinance that was put into place for the Food Truck Venue was never discussed with him prior to the meeting, where it was voted in by all Councilmen with the exception of District 1, Councilman Anderson Land, with Councilman Michael Daniel not present at the meeting. Land and Stewart tried to get Mayor Sayers to address it again by putting it back on the next agenda, but Sayers blocked it. Ratcliff has repeatedly said that the way the ordinance reads, “that anyone could drink alcohol at any event in the park". He pleaded with the council to address it again, but Sayers, again, refused to. Sayers has ignored his own legal counsel! What does that say to you? This has yet to be addressed by council!
6. Randy doesn’t even know that Jasper's current Fire Chief is not Jimmy Primrose. (Not on the Payroll – March 12th when he said that Jimmy was doing a good job!) Primrose hasn’t been the City’s fire chief in over a year, he retired January 2022! This is very concerning!
7. He asked in the Not on the Payroll video (March 12th), what will his legacy be? We all need to ask ourselves that question?
Vote ANDERSON LAND FOR MAYOR! Jasper citizens have had enough of Sayers’ bad decisions!
Hazel Johnson