The takeover, however, could be shorter than the Comptroller initially predicted, after Mason officials used federal American Rescue Act funding to pay down its utility debt, Mumpower said. The takeover arrangement formally begins Monday.
Since then, civil rights organizations including the NAACP and the Equity Alliance have sent staff and volunteers to Mason to hold meetings and knock on doors, saying they want to show support.
Lawsuit: ‘inconsistent and irregular steps’
The lawsuit narrates a timeline of contacts between the Comptroller’s office and Mason officials that lays out an “intermittent” engagement with Mason officials prior to .
Immediately following Gov. Bill Lee’s September 28 announcement of Ford’s new Blue Oval City electric vehicle plant, the Comptroller increased contact, seeking nearly twice-monthly “touch-base” meetings with Mason officials, the lawsuit claims.
“Nearly from that moment on, (the Comptroller) has sought to disrupt the affairs of Mason,” the lawsuit said. “Now, with construction slated to begin shortly and Mason standing to profit from the influx of labor and money, (the Comptroller) has taken the inconsistent and irregular step of trying to seize Mason’s finances and pressure the town to dissolve its charter.”
Lawyers for Mason – Van Turner, Jr. Continue Reading Mason officials also provided accounts to show a history of debt payments in the past year