Discussions over the status of the Tallulah Housing Authority and its various iterations over the years was once again the focal point of Thursday’s Tallulah City Council meeting, although answers to questions surrounding the body and its offshoots remain murky.
City council members, led by District 5 Councilman Toriano Wells, have been attempting to bring into focus the housing authority’s role in city government, including who controls its bank accounts and whether or not it is even currently active.
Following discussions spanning several meetings, City Attorney David Doughty instructed council members Thursday that no current version of a governing board for the housing authority exists and advised council members that the creation of such a body would be advantageous for the city moving forward.
In what appeared to be an effort to bring more clarity to the situation surrounding the Tallulah Housing Authority, Archie Jones, CEO of Gemini Real Estate Holdings, Inc., spoke before the TCC, explaining his company’s role in the matter.
Jones said his company was involved in the initial development of 40 homes under the purview of the Tallulah Housing Authority in 2011 and acts as the property’s management agency, adding Gemini partnered with Madison Point LLC. Madison Point GP, which he said was owned by the housing authority, and Brdigewater Development.
According to Jones, funds deposited into a bank account connected to the project, which has been the subject of inquires from Wells, was for Madison GP’s share of developer’s fees, going as far as to say, “If somebody took something, it would be me,” apparently referencing insinuations the money was mishandled by city officials.
Despite his insistence in the validity of business deals early on in the property’s development, Jones went on to say he reported directly to the late owner of Bridgewater Development, adding he has no knowledge of what names are currently associated with the bank account, prompting Wells to question the need for Jones to speak to the council at all.
Jones, however, insisted the paper trail would lead to answers, saying, “Clarity is, under the developer agreement, it specifically sets out how Madison Point GP got the money.”
Mayor Charles Finlayson said around $34,000 currently exists in a Cross Keys bank account, but neither he nor City Clerk Gerald Odom could say for sure what names are associated with it.
Doughty told council members the only recent activity in the account appears to be bank charges, while Wells questioned why such an old account, presumably associated with years of property fees, would only amount to $34,000.
“That doesn’t make sense,” Wells argued.
Doughty told council members a solution to the ongoing confusion would be for the city to once again name a governing body for the housing authority, which would be responsible for all aspects of its governance. Doughty said that body would need to be made up of five members, with one being a person currently living in Section 8 housing (the low-incoming housing program sponsored by the federal government) and would meet monthly.
Wells again called for an overall audit of the THA.
“Before we appoint a board, we need to look at all the financial information that’s pertaining to Madison Point GP and anything else associated with it,” Wells said. “Because, even though that account may have only $34,000 in it, we don’t know if there’s no other account that’s been opened, because we have changed names several times with this thing.”
Earlier this month, LaPorte CPAs conducted an audit of the THA after its director, John Murray, told council members he conducted audits of three years at once in order to be in compliance with state regulations. Murray said, after speaking with state officials, it was his understanding the now-"dormant" THA’s activity during the years in question did not require an audit. Upon learning it did warrant action, Murray said he performed audits for those years.
In other business, the council approved a tabling of approval of the minutes of the April 27, 2023, meeting pending correction of mistakes to the official record; approved an agreement between the City of Tallulah and the Village of Richmond to partner for the generating of water and sewer bills; tabled the notice of intent to call an election until a special meeting later scheduled for Tues., May 16; tabled the approval of city policies pending a written response to questions on the matter from the Louisiana Attorney General’s office; approved the budget committee, made up of council members Joseph Scott (District 1) and Carla Turner-Harris (District 3).
