Mayor gets in heated exchange with businessman

CANTON — Mayor  William S. Truly got into a heated verbal exchange with a businessman over the price of his cleaning services for city-owned buildings during a regular meeting last week.

Tavares Smith, owner of the Clean As A Whistle, wanted to amend his contract for cleaning services increasing the number of cleanings to twice a month from once a month.

Smith's contract was for a monthly cleaning of the city buildings at $1,500.

His request was for it to go twice a month at $2,700 per month.

Truly gave his thoughts on the matter when it came up for discussion.

“As my role with the city of Canton warrants, I did my research into this matter and I found that the cost of these cleaning pods are only about $30 apiece. So, I feel this is a rip-off,” the mayor said.

Smith, when asked to speak, was not happy. “There is a lot more involved in this process to clean these buildings, safely,” Smith said. 

“Mayor Truly, I gave you the best rate I can. You can not find a lower rate for this work in Mississippi.”

Smith said he based his rate of $1,500 on about 99 cents per square foot and that he was very disheartened by the mayor’s comment that his pricing was a “rip-off.”

“You have to prepare these chemicals for each individual building," Smith said. “A lot goes into this.”

The cleaning of the buildings became necessary for the city of Canton as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic that gripped Mississippi and lockdowns ensued nationwide.

The deep cleaning of government-owned property has been viewed as a key defense for the general public against virus transmission by some.

Truly eventually backed off his charge, saying, he did not want to take a stand against a business. He was looking out for the taxpayers.

“I offer my apologies to the city of Canton,” Truly said.

Alderman Tim Taylor gave his his assessment.

“Yes, we want competition for the best price, but we have no complaints about the effectiveness of the job he has done. I look at this as being a cost of retail,” Taylor said.

Smith left the meeting angry and in tears. He felt the mayor had publicly embarrassed his business.

Taylor later used the matter to attack Truly’s position on personnel attending a retreat for government staff at a casino in Philadelphia.  

Taylor objected to certain people going that he felt did not serve a cost-effective purpose.

Truly felt it was shot against his administration.

“Every time I try to do something for the city of Canton, I get this opposition from your side,” Truly said to Taylor.

Taylor said, “Mayor, I’m not the one who called one of our local businesses for being a rip-off."

The alderman ultimately voted to leave the cleaning contract as is, at $1,500 per month.