Some Cumberland City Council members are questioning whether the lack of quorum that led to the cancellation of July’s regular meeting Tuesday night was the result of a deliberate attempt by Cumberland Mayor Loretta Cornett to prevent the council from conducting business.

Cornett has denied that she schemed to have the meeting canceled.

Only three members of seven council members attended Tuesday’s meeting, resulting in a canceled meeting and expressions of frustration from two of the city’s newest council members, Kateena Haynes and Carl Hatfield.

Hours before the meeting was to be held at least one council member, as well as the city attorney, said they were told the meeting had been canceled and they should not attend.

When the meeting was convened at 6:30 p.m. and shortly-thereafter adjourned due to the fact that only three members had arrived, council member Norma Bowyer was only a short distance away, at Hardee’s.

According to Bowyer, Cornett called her two times and then visited her home Tuesday afternoon to make sure she knew the meeting was canceled.

“The first time, they asked me if I was coming,” said Bowyer of her three-way phone conference Tuesday afternoon with Cornett and the city clerk. “I said I’ll be there anyway, and if we have a meeting, fine, and if we don’t have a meeting, fine.”

A few hours later, Bowyer said, she was called again.

“I turned around the second time and said the same thing,” said Bowyer. “Then at 5 p.m., here sits Loretta on my front porch.”

Bowyer said Cornett informed her that she was sick and was going home, that there was not going to be a quorum and there was no reason for Bowyer to go to city hall.

“She told me that we were going to have the meeting tomorrow night,” said Bowyer.

Bowyer says she drove by city hall 15 minutes before the meeting was to begin, did not see Cornett’s vehicle and left.

Cornett arrived only a few minutes before the meeting, along with council members Hatfield, Haynes and Eugene Stagnolia.

City attorney Parker Boggs also was not in attendance. He told the Enterprise that he was informed at 4 p.m. that the meeting had been canceled.

Other council members not present included Jerry and Yvonne Gilliam, who had told the Enterprise as well as city officials before the meeting that they were not going to be able to attend, and Rhonda Forester, who could not be reached for comment.

After Hatfield and Haynes expressed their frustration Tuesday night with the inability to conduct the meeting, Hatfield approached Bowyer in Hardee’s, where Bowyer told him about the calls from Cornett.

Hatfield and Haynes both say they were never called by city officials and told the meeting was canceled. An Enterprise reporter was told by city employee Kelly Cornett one hour before the meeting that the meeting had not been canceled.

The meeting was finally canceled after only three members arrived, one person short of a legal quorum, leaving remaining council members apologizing to citizens in the audience.

“It’s very frustrating that the council is taking the brunt of the citizens’ justified frustrations when our hands are tied,” Haynes told the Enterprise later. “I was disheartened to find out that we didn’t have a quorum Tuesday, but after learning that the mayor used deceptive tactics to manipulate council members and sabotage the meeting, I was angry. With everything that is currently facing the city, we cannot avoid our problems and hope they will go away. We have to attack them as they arise to have any hope of moving forward.”

According to Bowyer, Cornett “lied” to her about the meeting to avoid dealing with the city’s ongoing dispute with Little Giant Food Cart owner Emma Gist, an issue that has caused friction between Cornett, council members and the city’s zoning and planning committee.

“She does not want to face that Little Giant,” said Bowyer. “That was done wrong from day one, and I will not put my seal of approval on anything that was done discriminatory. And I will not back a liar.”

Hatfield said he believed the lack of a quorum of “engineered,” but added he suspected Cornett was not responsible for the plan.

Cornett denied using any deceptive tactics to prevent the meeting.

“I don’t do such things,” said Cornett in a telephone conversation Wednesday night. “I was there and that’s all I know. I was very busy (Tuesday) getting everything ready for this morning (UNITE roundup).”

Cornett pointed out that in July there is “hardly ever” a meeting due to people traveling. She said she knew the Gilliams would not be there and that Stagnolia was preparing to leave for a trip, but she denied canceling the meeting.

Cornett says the lack of Tuesday’s meeting in no way stopped progress in the city.

“We’ve got a great council. I’m proud of the council members, and I’m proud of the progress we’re making,” said Cornett.