Andrus Answers Accusations
In the following 4 videos, Grambling Mayor Martha Andrus addresses accusations against her and seeks to bring clarity to untruths in the media about her administration. She is a candidate for re-election in this upcoming October 2nd, 2010 election, and begins to tell her side of the story from the beginning of the first of her 2 terms in office.
The embattled Grambling Mayor recalled better times when Grambling made forward progress; a time when the the Grambling Council worked hand in hand with her –yes there actually was such a time!
During her 2nd term as Mayor she began identifying serious problems with accounting and security breaches in the Grambling’s financial system. With the Council’s blessing, Andrus called in the LA State Police to investigate and notes a total turn against her by the Council once the investigation began.
Part 2
In this second video, Andrus discusses what she believes to be are nothing more than smear campaign tactics by her Grambling Council opponents who seek to replace her in the mayoral race at any cost, answers false accusations regarding unauthorized removal of municipal funds (later cites some actually made by the Council), and spoke about her father B.T. Woodard Sr. borrowing money in order to incorporate Grambling and being Grambling’s first mayor.
Mayor Andrus let it be known under no uncertain terms she has a legacy to uphold, a family name to protect, and says there’s no way she would steal from Grambling but is working very hard to catch those who are.
She reminds the media, public, students and faculty at GSU that mayoral candidate and Grambling Council Member Edward Jones has NOT been Mayor Pro Temp for 8 years as he is quoted on tape during a recent mayoral forum as saying. She identifies and praises the man who actually served as mayor pro temp during her first four years and said: “Just let’s you know how he (Jones) gets carried in his own lies.”
Council Member Edward Jones also stated in the Mayoral Forum held at GSU’s Nursing Auditorium last Wednesday September 22 that he works closely with the employees in various departments at Grambling City Hall as Mayor Pro Temp.
Andrus responded to Jones’ statements by saying it is definitely not the role of Council Members to interfere in the day-to-day operations of the city the way this Council has done. She also notes that the staunch and unreasonable opposition by the Council towards her as Mayor has put a damper on potential new businesses coming to Grambling.
On a more positive note, Mayor Andrus also discusses the good relationship between herself and GSU President Frank Pogue, the scope of Grambling’s new website, necessary security upgrades and the transparency of public records that the website she requested would provide Grambling’s citizens.
Part 3
Mayor Andrus discusses her bankruptcy and how she believes the many frivolous and baseless lawsuits contributed to her need to file. She recalls an illegal and unauthorized withdrawal of municipal funds by the Council that occurred and a reprimand by the court for having done so.
The Grambling Mayor also discussed why she refused a personal salary increase that the Council created for themselves and others, and states her preference that the Council should be paid a flat monthly salary rather than being paid an additional $350 each for each Special Called Meeting to ease the tax payer’s burden.
Part 4
In this final segment, the Grambling Mayor concludes her interview by discussing how Grambling’s new website meets a dire need to seal security breaches, provide transparency, and Grambling citizens with instantaneous interaction with the City; also discusses the realistic value of such a website.
Andrus answers a critical accusation regarding ‘missing monies’ in Grambling’s books. The Grambling Mayor does not handle the financial books as this is the job of Grambling City Accountant Willie Mabry. Andrus cites the City Accountant has not shown what account monies set side to pay the IRS from Grambling employees’ pay are actually missing, and says that some accounts are showing unexplained ‘extra’ monies in them.
Mayor Andrus says that the LA State Police still has Grambling’s records from two years ago (2008) due to the investigation, and that a proper audit to determine if monies are actually missing and to budget the municipality is not possible without those records.
The Grambling Mayor expressed regret about not being surrounded by people in her administration who were as trustworthy as she would like. She feels that most of the people whom she works with at Grambling City Hall don’t want to see the city move forward like she does, and that these are critical factors to succeed for anybody in her position.
She said that the Council failed to support her in her efforts to seal security breaches and get to the bottom of obvious financial discrepancies; especially certain Council Members seeking to replace her as Mayor who claim to have such skills.
Andrus closes the interview by reminding viewers how it was the Grambling Council that blocked a high speed broadband (DSL) internet station from coming to Grambling that would have benefited both Grambling and GSU; property owners both commercial and residential could have benefited from potentially lower property taxes and lower prices to access the internet.
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