At Monday evening’s meeting, the Eureka Springs city council approved attorney Kristi Kendrick to fill the council seat vacated by the June 13 death of alderman Joyce Zeller. Kendrick was formerly the Chief Deputy Attorney in New Orleans in charge of housing where she was involved in the creation of 15 Louisiana State laws. She told council she has learned the value of land use to property owners, and has experience in other realms of law. She said she is collecting signatures to run for the seat in November.
The vote was four signed ballots for Kendrick and one unsigned ballot for None of the Above, so Kendrick is in.
But before that
Prior to the vote, alderman Mickey Schneider chastised mayor Butch Berry because she told him things in a private conversation that she maintained he misrepresented in an email that went to aldermen and some people at city hall, which she claimed had subsequently been distributed around town.
“My words got twisted,” she claimed.
But she continued by enthusiastically insisting no one had the right to see how she voted in the election for filling the vacant seat. “We are constitutionally protected,” she proclaimed, and said there were legal cases to support her.
She went on to make a case for being able to vote for none of the above if one did not like any of the candidates.
Alderman Terry McClung smiled at Schneider and commented, “Everyone will know how you vote anyway.” She was steadfast she would not sign her ballot, and sallied forth again about constitutional rights being taken away.
Nevertheless, ballots were distributed, votes turned in and a tally announced.