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City Council fireworks

It was a strange evening at the City Council Tuesday night, with the arrest of consultant Bill Burckley and a spat between council members.

You can read about Burckley here.

As for that fight, there was tension between City Council members Zack Matheny and Goldie Wells during the Truth and Reconciliation discussion.

Wells made a cutting remark to Matheny after he explained, in depth, his decision not to support the Human Relations Commission recommendation that the council should say it regrets the 1979 shooting.

At the end of eight hours worth of meetings, the pair exchanged words again when Matheny asked council members to change their Monday meeting time to 5 p.m.

He said it was difficult for him to take time off of work in the afternoons. Wells told him he had to make sacrifices to be a public servant.

After the meeting ended, Matheny was seen shouting at Wells about his job responsibilities and her treatment. Councilwoman Sandra Anderson Groat stepped in to defend Matheny against Wells. Other council members encouraged Matheny to move along and drop the matter.

Wells, who has butted heads with other council members before, she doesn’t think Matheny understands her.

“He doesn’t treat me like an elder,” she said Wednesday.

Matheny has said he doesn’t appreciate the way she treats or speaks to him, sometimes commenting about his youth. He is the youngest council member at age 36.

"I've take it for a while," Matheny said Wednesday. "What am I supposed to do? When are you (Wells) going to treat me like a council member? When wil you treat me like an equal?"

Accompanying Photos

File photo (News & Record)

Photo Caption: Goldie Wells