WHITE SPRINGS — White Springs town manager Stacy Tebo called council member Helen Miller a “rogue council member” at the May 9 meeting.

During manager comments, Tebo read a prepared statement regarding Miller.

Tebo said Miller inappropriately used town funds when orchestrating a “Beautiful Dreamer’s Awards Banquet” last February.

According to Tebo, Miller purchased food, drinks, supplies, decoration, plaques and more without consulting her.

Tebo added she did not know about the purchases until she received the credit card bills and invoices the following month.

Tebo said Miller has violated Section 3.02 (b) of the town charter by directing the town staff. 

According to the charter, the directing of staff is a power vested in the town manager.

Examples Tebo provided included Miller directing public work staff to set up tables and chairs in the Tourism Center to get ready for a dinner and banquet and instructing Police Chief Tracy Rodriquenz to be available by phone for a meeting with the Department of Juvenile Justice regarding the Invest in Children Program the town was applying for.

Tebo said Miller also directed her to pay the HOPE Program employees after they had not been paid by the Hamilton County School Board. The HOPE Program is a summer youth program run by Miller and the school board was acting as the fiscal agent at the time. 

Tebo said she recently learned Miller was working with the Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park to hold the summer HOPE program there this year.

“There has been no communication regarding the HOPE Program between her and myself, nor the council,” Tebo said.

“Council member Miller is a rogue council member operating on her own, making decisions on behalf of the town, and speaking on behalf of the town. I bring this to the full council’s attention in this forum and ask you to address the problem.”

It was not addressed at the May 9 meeting as the issue was tabled until the June meeting.

“I want to know why this wasn’t presented as an agenda item so that we could do a little bit of background research into it,” Council member Walter McKenzie said. “ It sounds almost prosecutorial and we had no advance notice of it.”

Miller declined to comment.