JONESTOWN — Water department head Lewarn “Killer” Flowers was suspended from the city of Jonestown with pay for allegedly threatening a citizen during the regular July council meeting.
The city council called a special meeting on Friday to determine Flowers’ status. After a lengthy discussion during executive session, the council voted to reinstate Flowers immediately, in addition to his regular pay, compensate him for overtime for the days he worked during his suspension.
Mayor Kenny Lester suspended Flowers on July 18, but he continued to work through July 19. And Lester could not disclose the amount of overtime pay Flowers will receive since it was a personnel matter.
Tasha Stewart was the citizen who raised complaints against Flowers and spoke on the matter following Friday’s meeting. She filed charges with the Coahoma County Sheriff’s Office on July 9 and reported the incident to Lester on July 18. She added the council did not want to see during executive session a recording of what happened.
“The situation started three years ago,” Stewart said. “His nephew was killed. My ex-fiancee was blamed and arrested on that charged saying that he was the one that killed ‘Killer’s’ nephew.”
Then, Stewart said, it was discovered someone else killed Flowers’ nephew.
“‘Killer’ has been holding that grudge against me,” Stewart said.
Stewart accused employees of stealing from city hall during the meeting she claimed she was threatened at, as she wanted to make the council aware. She said she was not referring to Flowers, but he was making threats toward her.
Lester disagreed with the council’s decision to pay Flowers overtime for the hours he worked during his suspension.
“Originally, I wasn’t going to pay him overtime for his suspension,” he said.
Stewart also raised concerns about Flowers’ language during executive session.
“We heard so much cursing outside that door,” she said.
“I was cursing, too,” alderman Unta Wiley replied.
“That’s so unprofessional for the town of Jonestown,” Stewart said. “When you’re all here together, it’s something different, but when the public hears it, it’s something bad.”
For the second consecutive meeting, Jonestown resident Dexter Ivy attempted to raise issues, but council members did not stick around Friday. Lester listened to his concerns for two hours and the meeting eventually moved to his office.
Ivy did not agree with Flowers working and being paid during his suspension.
Lester said there is little he can do about the city council with the current form of government.
“There’s nothing I can do with the weak mayor system,” he said.
With a weak mayor system in Jonestown, the administration is subordinate to the council in large part and the decisions it makes.
Alderman Yvonne Williams-Brooks encouraged Ivy to attend the regular meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 6.
“We might even call a community meeting,” Williams-Brooks said. “Just hold your horses because I know you all have got questions. We’re going to get them answered.”
Williams-Brooks said there is a place on the agenda for citizens to speak and all sides would be respectful.
Ivy said Jonestown has not focused on the real issues and hopes there is a large turnout for the next meeting.
“I think it has come to the point where the whole d—n town needs to pep rally in front of here and conquer,” he said. “They need to sit out here with picket signs.”
