Did MDOTers violate Open Meetings Act?

Bobby Harrison at the Tupelo Daily Journal catches the Brown Boys in an alleged violation of the Open Meetings Act.

Central District Transportation Commissioner Dick Hall said Northern District Commissioner Bill Minor, Southern District Commissioner Wayne Brown and Transportation Department Executive Director Larry “Butch” Brown met at a Jackson restaurant on Aug. 10 with Madison County officials to discuss what is known as the Reunion interchange planned for I-55 in Madison County.

“How do you work with somebody you can’t trust?” asked Hall, who filed a complaint with the Ethics Commission last week. “Obviously, it was a pre-arranged meeting to discuss a project in my district, and I was excluded from the meeting....There is a reason for having the opening meetings law.”

Tom Hood, executive director of the Ethics Commission, said the two commissioners and Butch Brown have 14 days to file a response if they so choose.

Tim Johnson, a member of the Madison County Board of Supervisors, was at the Aug. 10 dinner along with Jackson attorney Ed Brunini Jr. and Madison County engineer Rudy Warnock.

At the dinner, Johnson said, “We were talking about Reunion, and Dick has made it clear he is against the project.”

Minor said the Madison County officials asked the commissioners to consider providing a larger state match for the project.