Mayors Office of Scottsboro violates 1st Monday ordinance, intentionally overcharges vendors.

The city of Scottsboro has had the opportunity to update their First Monday Ordinance, they have not done so. Vendors have been sent out letters informing them of new rules, however, no new rules have been codified. The current Scottsboro city Ordinace concerning First Monday Fees is Ordinace # 502, signed the 21st of June 2005 establishing a fee of $5.00.
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The Mayors office has refused to recognize this Ordinace and has arbitrarily implemented a proposed ordinance change without the approval of the City Council, ignoring existing law as codified by the City of Scottsboro. As a result 1st Monday Vendors are being overcharged for their spots by 100%. The coordinator of the 1st Monday event, the Mayors Secretary, likewise refuses to recognize the standing city ordinance.

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It is my belief the lack of concern and the intentional creation of policy outside the scope of any existing laws of the City of Scottsboro is intentional with the sole purpose of denigrating the historical 1st Monday Event. The current 1st Monday coordinator has made rules up without following the city ordinance, made up rules to the point of "running off" long term vendors. A formal complaint was filed with the Mayors Office 4 months ago concerning the arbitrary making of rules outside the scope of any city ordinance.

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The Mayor of Scottsboro and the 1st Monday Vendors Committee has meet with the Mayor and select council members several months ago, November 2009 and January 2010, reaching an agreement concerning proposed rule changes for 1st Monday. However, the city failed to implement any new rule changes and now overcharges the vendors for their spot fees without concern to existing law. The Mayors Office and the City Council has had over 3 months to implement the change and comply with the requirements of the law and has failed to do so. It is important to point out that the Mayor has frequently been reminded for several months of the necessity of codifying the law prior to any changes being implemented and has failed to act except to initiate a non-existing, arbitrary set of rules prior to their being signed into law and properly announced as required by the laws of the State of Alabama .

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City leadership, in reference to 1st Monday, has acted in a manner not in keeping with standards and practices of good government. The result is the denigration of the 1st Monday event, which includes improper and arbitrary rule making including an intentional overcharge of First Monday Vendors.

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First Monday Vendors should be refunded the excess money paid, overcharge of spot rental, as a result of the arbitrary rule making by the Mayors Office in violation of the First Monday Ordinance. I will speak to the City Council Monday evening at 6PM concerning this situation.

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