LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Former Council clarifies Editor, the Leader-News:

This is setting the record straight in regard to Jack Fisk's advertisement in the Wednesday edition of the ECLN asserting that the City Council serving in 1992 ignored a citywide vote held in 1991 that would have changed the system of how we elect a mayor in El Campo. That council listened to and abided by a ruling by the Department of Justice.

Minutes from past council meetings show that on May 4, 1991, there were 232 voters with 154 voting for and 78 against a "mayor by popular election" issue.

Soon after the vote and in compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the city filed the planned change with the Department of Justice, which by law had to approve any changes in elections.

On Jan. 7, 1992 we received word that John R. Dunne, an Assistant Attorney General with the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice denied El Campo's request to change how it elects the mayor due to minority representation concerns.

On Jan. 14, 1992, our city attorney gave two feasible alternatives to the denial.

The first was to accept the Justice Department's decision and not implement the change, or second, to appeal the decision to the Federal District Court in Washington D.C.

The 1992 City Council voted unanimously, except for one absentee member, to accept the Justice Department's ruling and leave the current system of electing a mayor from among council members as is.While we appreciate Mr. Fisk's zeal for the voters and our rights, we do not wish our compliance to a court ruling to be misconstrued.
Respectfully,
The following members of the 1992 City Council:
Bobby Perez, Mayor Pro-Tem
Gloria Harris
Karen Meinardus
Bubba Parker
Mark Sablatura

Health care excellent Editor, the Leader-News:

I would like to thank the El Campo EMS, Dr. Ted Scott, Emergency Room Staff and the nurses at El Campo Memorial Hospital for the excellent care given me during my recent illness. We should be proud of our excellent EMS and the staff at El Campo Memorial Hospital. Your care at this critical time was greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Dennis, Carol and Stacie Marek