Harold Armstrong, Glasgow mayor, holds back comment during a heated meeting of the Glasgow City Council on Monday, Nov. 25, 2019.
(BRENNAN CRAIN/WCLU NEWS)
Note: WCLU News originally reported that Harold Armstrong’s first Glasgow EPB appointment was Libby Pruitt Short, but his first appointment was Mark Biggers. WCLU News regrets this error.
GLASGOW, Ky. – After a near illegal appointment to one of Glasgow’s most influential boards, the mayor has put forth a new name to serve the Glasgow Electric Plant Board.
Mark Lane, owner and operator of Glasgow’s A Little Taste of Texas, is set to be confirmed by the Glasgow City Council on Feb. 8. His name is up for consideration Monday evening, but a formal vote will not happen until next month.
Harold Armstrong, Glasgow mayor, recently tried to appoint former councilperson Sheri Eubank to the board, but her position as a former councilperson within the last two years prohibited her appointment.
Lane, if confirmed, will replace Tag Taylor, who currently holds a seat on the board. The mayor did not reconsider Taylor for a reappointment despite his wish to serve.
WCLU News sought comment from Taylor, and he said he told the mayor he would be willing to serve again; however, the mayor did not ask Taylor if he wanted to be reappointed. Taylor reached out to the mayor after he didn’t receive a request from the mayor.
Armstrong and Taylor have disagreed several times over the last two years of the mayor’s term. One major disagreement erupted when Taylor spoke publically against hiring a consultant to discern the viability of Tennessee Valley Authority’s relationship with the City of Glasgow.
The mayor and a majority of the council supported the allocation of $50,000 in the city’s budget to pay for that consultant. Taylor argued the city had sufficient information to know TVA was the only viable option as an electric provider.
One other community member beside Taylor expressed interest.
Melinda Overstreet sent the mayor several emails and text messages last summer, and a follow up email was sent several days ago. That request to be appointed was not considered.
Any appointment Armstrong makes to the GEPB will likely be one that accomplishes several goals, which were the highlights of the mayor’s 2018 campaign. One of those goals was to “fix the EPB,” which translates to remedying what the mayor believes to be an unfair rate structure that he says lessens costs for industrial customers and increases costs for the residential rate payer.
“And that’s not a reflection on TVA, that’s a reflection on what the board has set up to be done,” Armstrong said in a May 8, 2020, phone interview with WCLU News.
Armstrong recently indicated he “would be glad to appoint” anyone who had interest, but that statement is somewhat true.
The mayor indicated in an earlier interview with WCLU News that he had beliefs about the Glasgow EPB’s business – including who is the city’s electric provider.
“If I could just say just what I’d like to do, and it would happen, that’s what I’d do,” Armstrong said.
Armstrong spelled out his wishes in three parts – return to the old rate structure, which is volumetric (meaning it does not adjust the rate structure for individual users but calculates a cost for all customers in a given bracket regardless of consumption); adjust a contract with the Tennessee Valley Authority that is a five year term with a two year notice of defaulting; and prohibit council members from “posting misinformation on Facebook.”
Armstrong has made three appointments to the board over the last two years. His first was Mark Biggers; second, Libby Pruitt Short; third, Glenn Pritchard. Lane will make the fourth appointment if he’s confirmed.
Short was appointed, but shifted her viewpoints away from the mayor’s. Prichard has remained fixed in the mayor’s mindset. No comment has come from Lane regarding his position on the EPB’s business. But the mayor continues to claim he cannot influence the GEPB’s business, even with certain appointments.
“I’m just in the backseat riding on the bus,” Armstrong said. “I can’t drive it.”
Armstrong fought to keep DT Froedge on the board last year, despite Froedge’s wishes to hire a consultant; his many issues with the TVA; and his many attempts to hold illegal meetings.
Froedge submitted a resignation but later rescinded it when the mayor insisted he remain on the board.
The mayor said he insisted Froedge rescind his resignation simply because he “has too much knowledge.” That claim is invalidated by Froedge’s firm stances against the GEPB.
“I wanted his input so that everybody – once they made a decision down there – it wouldn’t just be Billy Ray saying, ‘we need to do this,’” Armstrong said. “Everybody would have their input and say, ‘this is what we need to do to keep the Electric Plant Board on the right path.’”
Froedge has historically voted to terminate William Ray, the utility’s longstanding superintendent; impede business by being negligent; and recommending the EPB seek other options beside the TVA’s services.
The mayor’s appointing tactics appear to confirm that the mayor does, in fact, want to influence the business of the GEPB. And for that reason, the issues at hand seem to extend beyond a rate structure.
