The Ellis County Press: Mayors company gets fire station contract

Mayors company gets fire station contract
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Editor on 09/11/2008 14:40:00


The Ellis County Press
Subsidiary of councilman's firm wins steel bid
PALMER- The Palmer City Council voted to waive building permit fees of $4,000
June 16 for the new Ellis County Emergency Services District station behind city
hall.
The company owned by Mayor Lance Anglin, who only votes in case of a tie, won
the concrete contract for the fire station from the Emergency Services District
No. 9 board (there are nine such districts in Ellis County.)
"I did get the contract for the new fire department but I wasn't in the meetings
at all," Anglin said of the ESD No. 9 board.
"The fire department has its own governing board and aren't involved with the
city at all.
However, the city council can only vote to waive fees for government buildings,
according to the city attorney.
Residents are not afforded that same privilege, according to state laws.
Palmer Councilman Jeff Vick, who said he was against the idea to waive the fees,
works for a subsidiary of the company that received the steel contract for the
station.
"The steel contract was awarded to Eagle Building Systems, a sister company to
Eagle Steel by a guy out in Ennis," Vick said. "I do not agree with the fees
being waived at all. I was open about it."
Though Anglin only votes in case of a tie, he still chaired the meeting. The
vote on the council was unanimous. Vick abstained from the vote.
Mike Greenlee, a former councilman who lost re-election in May over _The Ellis
County Press'_ coverage of his past misspending of taxpayer dollars on strip
clubs, bars and hotels while he was mayor in the early 90s, serves on the ESD
No. 9 board and voted to award the contracts.