Late last year, the Benton Harbor City Commission approved a resolution to update its procedures to allow for motions from the floor and rule suspensions at the will of the majority. However, that change has not taken effect due to objections from the city attorney. Last month, we reported Commissioner Juanita Henry has sought clarity and expressed frustration with Mayor Marcus Muhammad over the matter, and that hasn’t changed. At Monday’s meeting, she proposed a protest resolution, which the mayor rejected. Muhammad said he’s following the proper rules of order, adding no one wants a return to the days of surprise commission votes.
“I don’t think residents of Benton Harbor want to go back to the days when people were pulling resolutions out of their pocket and reading it from the floor,” Muhammad said. “No transparency, no vetting. Just a group of people meeting somewhere, bring a resolution, saying we’re going to do government that way.”
Henry told us commissioners are acting within their rights under the charter but getting blocked by the mayor.
“It makes no sense because it’s there,” Henry said. “It’s written for us to follow. So I don’t know why he does it, other than he does it, and he’s getting away with it.”
Commissioner Ron Singleton said Monday that he believes the resolution approved last year was clear and valid. Commissioner Edward Isom then moved the suspend the rules, but the mayor shot him down. The mayor said amended language to the resolution in question will be presented at an upcoming committee meeting. Henry promised a special meeting on Monday’s dispute.
