Complaints voiced against St. Paul, Shiloh, Timesville Water Supply Corporation.

The meeting of a Water Supply Corporation was abruptly gaveled to a close Monday night in the community house at St. Paul in the rural northeast section of Leon County, and all the directors but one left without comment. Members of the St. Paul, Shiloh, Timesville Water Supply Corporation said that the directors did that whenever they were faced with a majority that seemed to be against them in a meeting. Centerville Attorney, David Murff who had been hired by the members at a previous meeting to represent them spoke to the remaining group and reported to them on attempted negotiations with the President of the WSC, Glen (Peck) Releford of Oakwood. Murff told the group that Relerford had been completely unresponsive to requests for records, and the legal requirements for holding public meetings. The members authorized Murff to proceed with a suit against Relerford and the other officers of the corporation.

Numerous complaints were made against the absent directors to Murff while County Commissioner David Ferguson listened from the audience. Ferguson had been invited to observe by some of the members.

Member allegations included; meeting were not held regularly, meetings were not posted, the Texas open records law was routinely ignored, elections were not held, that the same seat was put up each time that there was an election and that the officers did not face the voters, that water was cut off to punish questioners, that local workers were not paid, and a litany of other complaints.

A director, Horace Sapp said that they would not let him attend the meetings when they did hold them in a private home in the area.

Relerford has faced similar charges before. In 2001 a suit was filed against him in the District Court of the 87^th Judicial District of Freestone County alleging in part that Releford and Gary Gardner, pastor of the Rocky Mount Baptist Church, “Have for some time held and controlled the monies, records, and checkbook of the church and have denied requests and refused to account for those monies.” Two and one half years later the same court issued the following order in the case.

“Order of the Court. Based on the agreement of the parties as evidenced by the signature of Counsel below the Court hereby ORDERS that all checking account (sic) held in what whatever name on behalf of Rocky Mount Baptist Church and the Rocky Mountain Cemetery by Oakwood State Bank be hereby tendered and delivered to Plaintiff’s …………………acting in behalf of Rocky Mount Baptist Church.”

“THE COURT FURTHER ORDERS that all other relief sought after and requested is hereby denied.”

A group of citizen-members of the WSC including Mack Botard of Oakwood presented their complaints to Leon County Attorney Jim Witt several months ago. Witt, told the Buffalo Press on Friday that the investigation into the management of the WSC was ongoing, but that he expected results to be forthcoming in the near future.

Suit to be filed on St. Paul's Officers

A lawsuit is expected to be filed on Tuesday January 30, 2007 in the Leon County Courthouse against the President Glen Releford, Secretary-Treasurer Anne Birmingham, and Vice President Margaurite Johnson of the St. Paul, Shiloh Timesville Water Supply Corporation alleging in part; fraud, conspiracy to commit fraud, theft and conspiracy to commit theft and violations of the open records and open meetings laws according to attorney David Murff who represents member-plaintiffs of the WSC. The suit follows a long period of allegedly irregular practices in denial of public records and requirements of the Texas Open Meetings Act where there has been no clear public accounting of receipts or expenditures for the WSC.