Angry audience rips Royalty for missing local Martin Luther King Jr. Day event

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Bardstown Mayor John Royalty reads a prepared statement at the beginning of Tuesday’s council meeting in regard to his absence from the community’s Martin Luther King Day evening.

Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2015, 12:15 a.m. — The sizeable crowd of people with questions for Bardstown Mayor John Royalty regarding his absence at the community’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration left Tuesday night’s meeting without the answers they were looking for.

Royalty opened the council meeting by reading a prepared statement that explained he was not aware of the importance and the history of the Bardstown mayor’s in the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day event. Royalty said as mayor he was never contacted about the event or invited to attend it. He said he hoped to be invited next year and to attend now that he understands the importance the mayor plays in the event.

Royalty listed some of the things he might have spoken about at the event if he had been invited to attend it — a statement that did not settle well with the audience members waiting to question him.

Royalty reminded the audience the public input segment of the meeting was the public’s opportunity to speak; however also means it is not a time for individual discussions about issues with the mayor and members of the council. “I’m here to hear you,” he told the audience. “But this is not a discussion.”

Joseph Sheckles told the mayor and council that the mayor had disrespected part of the community.

One member of the audience asked Royalty to identify the other activities he attended rather than attend the MLK event. She also challenged Royalty’s comments about his being accountable to city residents. “What does your lack of support for this event say to the community?”

Referring to a local newspaper story, Shonna Sheckles asked Royalty to explain his comments about affirmative action.

“You were quoted saying that you didn’t like affirmative action, and color, age and gender shouldn’t be considered when hiring city employees. What is your vision for people of color in your administration?” Sheckles asked, adding “That’s considered a question if you don’t recognize it.”

Another resident said she was concerned about Royalty’s use of the term “you people” at another event he attended. Royalty later explained that he didn’t use the term “you people,” but that he did say “you all” during a discussion at a Bardstown Primary School event.

Royalty thanked everyone who offered a comment or question, but did not respond to individual questions — which generated a growing sense of frustration from many of those in attendance.

Joseph Sheckles of Bardstown warned the council the mayor’s actions were disrespectful and the council’s lack of action may come back to haunt them in the next election.

“Your mayor is putting you in a predicament that is not good as far as relationships with the people of Bardstown, and now we’re getting disrespected again,” he said. “So you city council members — every one of you — will be held accountable during the next election if you let this guy sit here and do this.”

Sheckles promised that the numbers of people seeking answers from the mayor will grow. “There’s just a few of us speaking here tonight but that’s going to grow, I promise you, because there’s no answers from any of you guys tonight.”

Councilman Fred Hagan listens to the audience vent its frustration about the the lack of a dialogue between the mayor, council and the audience.

Councilwoman Kecia Copeland said she didn’t understand why the council meeting accepted public input but could not discuss that input. Councilman Francis Lydian agreed, adding that he believed previous councils had done so.

Councilman Fred Hagan explained that the council speaks as a body at its meetings, and each member of the council is available individually to discuss concerns. Council meetings are designed to include conversations between the mayor and the public, he said. If citizens have question for the mayor, they can call his office and meet with him.

Another member of the audience chided Royalty for his lack of cultural sensitivity.

“Sometimes we open our mouths too much,” she said. “There’s all different cultures here, and you have said some things this past week that if you don’t want to be questioned about them, then you shouldn’t say them. If you want to be mayor for all the people, then you’re going to have to try to get along.”

Another visitor told Royalty that he should have done the research to know what was expected of him as the city’s new mayor. Doing so in this case would have avoided problems like this, the woman said.

Once the public input segment of the meeting closed, many of those who spoke filtered out of the meeting as the council turned to other items on its agenda.

NEXT UP. The council’s monthly working session is 5 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2015.

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