Lake City: Councilwoman Tammy Harris Going to Washington – Why – Mum’s the Word – $300 Event Costing Taxpayers $3,400
September 19, 2025 11:45 am | 3.5 min read
Background and logos: Congressional Black Caucus
Foundation. Photo and graphic: Columbia County
Observer
LAKE CITY, FL – Buried in Monday’s City Council consent agenda (item 13) was an item to send Councilwoman Tammy Harris on a junket to Washington, DC, to attend the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Legislative Conference. The cost – not so easy to find: Mayor Walker buried the request in the consent agenda without the cost being visible.
Background: What is the purpose of a consent agenda?
Mayor Noah Walker. He needs a copy of Robert's
Rules.
A consent agenda is used to streamline meetings by allowing ministerial items like approving minutes, warrant registers, small contracts, etc., to be approved in a bundle without the need to discuss each item individually.
Lake City didn't have an issue with consent agendas until former City Manager Paul Dyal came along, although there was only an occasional blip. It is important to understand that agendas are approved by the Mayor, who, during Mr. Dyal's controversial reign, was Stephen Witt, who faced significant challenges during his final years as Mayor.
With the hiring of City Manager Don Rosenthal, the appointment of Clay Martin of Folds & Walker as City Attorney, and the election of Noah Walker as mayor, the purpose for including items on the consent agenda became questionable.
Unscrupulous boards use consent agendas to eliminate or limit discussion, approve items without debate, shirk accountability, and bypass scrutiny.
On November 18, 2024, this came to light when the approval of the multi-million-dollar City trash contract with Waste Pro was inserted on the consent agenda. The City snuck it in there.
The City Council never made any rules regarding what goes on its consent agendas.
Monday Night: on the consent agenda, a junket for Tammy
Councilwoman Tammy Harris wanted to go to the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Conference. Ms. Harris completed a Report to Council form with the help of the Clerk's Office.
Mayor Walker inserted the request in the September 15 consent agenda.
Former City Councilman Glenel Bowden, who for twenty-four years worked as a congressional aide to Congresswoman Corine Brown, put in a slip to discuss the Harris junket.
Without any way for citizens to request consent items be pulled for discussion on the regular agenda, Mayor Walker overlooked Mr. Bowden’s request.
Mr. Bowden raised an issue. There was a recess; City Attorney Clay Martin got involved; the meeting was called back to order.
Legislative Screw Up
City Attorney Clay Martin. He needs a copy of
Robert's Rules.
City Attorney Clay Martin ‘sort-of’ explained consent agendas. He said the public gets three minutes to discuss the whole consent agenda; because of the problem with Mr. Bowden not being recognized, he advised a “do-over.”
The City goes by Robert’s Rules. There is no specific thing in Robert’s Rules called a “do-over.” It is unclear if the City Attorney knew how to do a “do-over.” It was clear that the Mayor and the City Council were clueless.
The correct way to have re-done consent item 13, the Harris item, was to reconsider the item, pull it from the consent agenda, open it for discussion, and vote on it.
Somebody should have known how to do that.
The City Attorney Martin’s explanation went on for over five minutes. He suggested a "do-over."
Mayor Walker thanked Mr. Martin for his explanation.
Mayor Walker said, “Perfect. Thank you, Mr. Martin. And that being said, we'll have set “do-over” on the consent agenda. I'll now open it up for public comment. Mr. Bowden, you were the only person who signed up for public comment on consent agenda items.”
Glenel Bowden: He told the Council what went on at Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Conferences.
Glenel Bowden explained what goes on at
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation
Conferences. It's party time.
Mr. Bowden came to the podium. He said there was no difference in the City paying for a trip for a Council member to go to the Rotary International Convention in Arizona, as it was for the City taxpayers to pay for a trip to the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation in DC.
Mr. Bowden said, “I worked for Congress for 24 years. I attended 12 Congressional Black Caucus Foundation meetings. There is no serious workshop. There's nothing at those kinds of meetings that benefits small cities… This is a party.”
Mr. Bowden continued, “I think that the person who got this on the agenda should be able to articulate to the public, ‘What's the benefit to me as a taxpayer?’ How would citizens of Lake City benefit, $3,000 to go to DC to the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation?”
“It's a waste of our money. You know, so I understand why the governor’s going around looking at governments now. Spending money on that kind of trip, without even explaining it… because the money has not been spent, it's not free money.”
Mr.
Bowden concluded, “It set[s] a bad precedent.”
Deaf Ears – Deer in the Headlights
Mayor Walker thanked Mr. Bowden for his comments. He asked for comments from the Council. There were none.
It is unknown if anyone on the City Council had a clue about what was going on at the Congressional Black Caucus. If Ms. Harris did, she wasn’t talking.
Epilogue
During the Councilmember comments at the conclusion of the meeting, Councilwoman Harris asked for coat contributions for children who can't afford coats for the winter.
The $3,400 could have bought a lot of coats.
