Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Clovis City Commissioner David Bryant has responded to allegations he failed to attend a taxpayer-funded seminar in Santa Fe last month.
“(Y)es,” he wrote in a Facebook message to reporter Grant McGee at 4:53 a.m. Saturday, “I attended, as another commissioner pointed out, and yes I’ve attended every session of the program over my attendance at two separate offerings.”
Bryant did not immediately respond to questions about his statement as of 8:15 a.m. Saturday.
We put our Sunday newspapers together on Friday nights so they can be printed on Saturday afternoons. We don’t have time or personnel on Saturday morning to give Bryant’s statement the full news coverage it deserves – such as followup questions and response from others.
So for now, I will give Bryant this space to make his statement without commentary. We’ll follow up with a complete news report in Wednesday’s paper.
Context for some of the information is not clear, but I’m hoping he will help us with that by responding to questions later this week.
For those just now tuning in to this topic, Clovis Mayor Mike Morris has publicly and repeatedly alleged Bryant did not attend the Municipal League’s leadership conference June 5-7. Morris has asked Bryant to reimburse the city about $650 it spent on the seminar cost and a hotel room for Bryant.
Morris also has called for Bryant’s resignation.
Here is Bryant’s statement from Saturday morning, unedited. He is responding to the reporter’s questions about whether he attended the conference:
“My statement; due to our mayor taking this situation to the State Ethics Commission, and now possibly to SEC, I will be missing the next few committee and commission meetings until the situation is settled in the correct way as it should have been.
“I’ve been downgraded, harassed, threatened, and humiliated by this mayor since being elected (documented).
“It’s pretty clear there is a call for his resignation as well on similar accusations.
“I’ve never publicly spoken ill of him or his position, yet he continues to stress his distain and anger at me.
“I’ve contacted legal with the City and outside legal as well on the matter.
“I can say yes I attended, as another commissioner pointed out, and yes I’ve attended every session of the program over my attendance at two separate offerings.
“I can say once this matter is settled I’m going to offer my 6,000 annual salary back to the City to be put into road funds. Yes I will serve without pay.
“I wish this to stop being a public display as the City has better things to focus on.”
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