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Government does not exist for the benefit of the people who hold office, their friends, or the people who happen to have influence at City Hall.

The Town of Carrollton belongs to ALL of us.

Yet time after time, we are left asking whether decisions coming out of our local government are actually being made for the good of the community—or for the convenience and benefit of a select few.

Look at the RV ordinance.

In the dead of winter, Carrollton enacted a prohibition on people living in RVs and made it effective immediately. Think about what that potentially meant for people who had nowhere else to go.

But drive around Carrollton today. I have personally seen numerous RVs on major streets with slide-outs extended and other indications that people may be living in them.

Where is the enforcement?

If an ordinance was important enough to enact immediately during winter, why isn’t it being consistently enforced now?

That raises a legitimate question: What was the real purpose of the ordinance, and who was it intended to affect?

Then consider the fire ordinance.

After the Town was sued over the Fire Department’s handling of dangerous smoke from an open fire—and after questions were raised about mandatory language requiring action under certain circumstances—the ordinance was subsequently changed from mandatory language to discretionary language.

Instead of asking why the existing protections allegedly weren’t followed, the law itself was weakened.

Now we’re hearing questions about what happened to previously livestreamed Town Council meetings and why current meetings are no longer being made available the way they once were.

At some point, these things stop looking like isolated controversies and start raising questions about how our local government views the people it is supposed to serve.

Government officials are not our rulers.

They are our employees.

They exercise authority that ultimately belongs to the people of Carrollton, and that authority comes with an obligation to be transparent, accountable and fair—even when transparency is uncomfortable.

We need people in local government who understand that.

We need people who aren’t afraid of public criticism.

We need people who will apply ordinances consistently instead of selectively.

We need people who will preserve protections for residents rather than weaken them when those protections become inconvenient.

And we need people who understand that holding public office is a public trust, not membership in a private club.

Carrollton has already demonstrated that voters are willing to look outside the traditional local power structure. Beginning January 1, 2027, our community will have a judge coming from outside Carrollton rather than simply continuing the familiar local pipeline.

Whatever someone’s opinion of any individual involved, that should send an important message:

People are willing to demand something different.

For too long, people in small towns have been told that this is simply how things work—that everybody knows everybody, everybody protects everybody, and challenging the system isn’t worth the trouble.

I disagree.

This isn’t about Republicans or Democrats. It isn’t about settling personal scores. And it shouldn’t be about attacking people simply because they hold public office.

It’s about accountability.

If an ordinance is good enough for one resident, it should be good enough for another.

If a law protects the public, officials should follow it.

If government makes a controversial decision, officials should be willing to explain it.

If a public meeting becomes uncomfortable or embarrassing, that’s when transparency matters most, not least.

And if the same people and the same relationships keep producing the same problems, then perhaps it’s time for different people.

The “good old boys” era of Carrollton government needs to end.

We need residents who care about this community to attend meetings, ask questions, request records, speak publicly, run for office and—most importantly—vote.

Change doesn’t require tearing Carrollton down.

It requires expecting something better from it.

The Town works for the people.

It’s time we started reminding our government of that.

The time for change isn’t someday. The time is now.

Source: Backwater Justice-Reflections of A Small Town Missouri Cop

Downfall of the Carrollton Police Department

Initial Observations-Cracks Begin To Surface

I came to the Carrollton Police Department in March of 2022. The first Chief of Police I served under was Mike Turk. Chief Turk was a law enforcement veteran with nearly a quarter century of experience under his belt. Chief Turk cut his teeth working for the Independence Police Department for much of his career before semi retiring to a Farm in rural Carroll County. Being lured back to law enforcement he served as a Sergeant for the Carroll County Sheriffs Department before being named Chief of Police for Carrollton in early 2022.

The department at that time was a wonderful place to work. Did it have problems any other rural department has, sure. This included issues with recruitment and retention. We had some officers leave for greener pastures and hired new officers to replace them. That said the department never operated under 50% allotted capacity and there was always 24-hour police coverage. The department was consistent with its command staff. Chief, Captain and Sergeant, A strong core of dedicated workers ready to serve the community and lead a professional department.

At that time the department was allowed to be a police department. The department head was allowed to lead his staff how he saw fit with little interference from city hall and virtually no micromanagement from the Carrollton Mayor at the time who was Frank Olvera. By all accounts Frank Olvera was a great Mayor for Carrollton and the Police Department operated in a successful manner during his tenure both during Chief Turks stint as Chief as well as with prior Chiefs of Police. A couple trouble Councilpersons notwithstanding and well get to them in a moment.

There were issues following the ascension of John Sweeney for Mayor in April 2023. Mayor Sweeney had some business interests in town which in my view clouded his judgment and objectivity. I remember being forced to have a sit-down meeting with him and Chief Turk after he became Mayor. He specifically wanted to know why I did what I do regarding arresting drunk drivers. A common gripe by many in Carroll County. You see, I had arrested his business partner prior to his election and the two had an stake in a local brewing company and restaurant.

Mayor Sweeney and I had a frank conversation and came to terms with how I would continue to do my job moving forward. I was so proud to be one of Chief Turks Officers at that time. During that meeting he told Mayor Sweeney who was adamant about letting drunk drivers go or allowing them the option of taking a ride during the traffic stop and Ill paraphrase, but basically, Chief Turk said “what don’t you fucking understand, Barger told you why he does what he does (arresting drunk drivers) and he’s going to continue to do his job because it’s a public safety issue.”

Chief Turk was a cop’s cop and the type of Chief any patrol officer would want to have. You could always count on him to have your back. But battles like that with Mayor Sweeney can take their toll over time and Chief Turk fought battles in defense of his staff and department on the daily that many people don’t know about.

Being Chief of Police in a small town is a very difficult job to say the least. It was clear in Carrollton that the Chief was always on duty and there was never any time your phone was off. Though this is common, People, including city leaders, can take advantage of a situation like that and when your running short staffed a fatigue factor can set in. Added to this a couple problem council members, Sherry McCoy and Keith Higgins and the problem worsens. Both of these Councilpersons worked to circumvent city hall and tried to micromanage Chief Turk and the police department. Following this, cracks began to surface in that consistent command structure which helped make the department viable.

Regarding Sherry McCoy and Keith Higgins, as an employee of Carrollton for over 4 years, Id be hard pressed to find two other small town public officials more inclined to make an employee’s life miserable just for the sake of some overbearing narcissistic need to control every aspect of everything at any time. I remember there was so much backbiting and negativity from them, never anything positive to say about anything or anyone police department related. Despite our marked successes. Always a sly remark about a decision, a bill or a staff member. Calling leaders off duty to yell and scream at them about something so mundane as a car parked the wrong way on a street or a bag of trash sitting too close to the curb.

This behavior continued through Mayor Sweeneys tenure and past his resignation as Mayor in February 2024. Mayor Sweeney was followed by Councilperson Susie Bliss as Interim Mayor.

Suzie Bliss was much like Mayor Olvera. Non-confrontational, extremely positive, interested in growth and ideals to make Carrollton a nice place to live. A leader who empowered her department heads and didn’t micromanage. I was even able to obtain grants for much needed department equipment under her tenure. This included grant money for dash cameras and body cameras the department didn’t have at the time.

That said, Mayor Bliss was only one person, and she couldn’t control the actions of council members, Sherry McCoy and Keith Higgins. The constant beratement, on duty, off duty, the dressing down in open council sessions, the phone calls off duty, treatment of staff, the seething hatred for anything police department related can take its toll on any leader. Eventually no position is worth the toxic environment you’re in.

Chief Turk, who was walking on eggshells daily, had finally had enough. There was a new Chief of Police in nearby Lexington, and an opportunity opened where he ended up taking a demotion to go to Lexington as a Sergeant and take a pay cut as well. All this was preferable than being Chief of Police for Carrollton any further. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1bqv7sNxQy/

Also at this time, our Captain, Derek Hawkins left as well for a lateral position with the same agency, and I experienced for the first time in Carrollton a significant change of leadership at the very top with both the Chief of Police and Captain/Assistant Chief walking away.

Good People, Good Employees rarely leave Good Employers for worse pay and an uncertain future. Work Atmosphere is extremely important and the atmosphere for the command staff at the Carrollton Police Department was becoming unbearable.

The time was October 2024 and with an upcoming municipal election around the corner in April, the eventual closure of the police department would come along with the results.

To be continued…..

DrainCarrollton.com Launches Public Reporting Form for Rights Violations & Corruption

Today, we’re taking an important step toward transparency and accountability in the Town of Carrollton and Carroll County.

We have published a secure reporting form on DrainCarrollton.com that allows:

• Residents
• Former residents
• Business owners
• Current or former employees
• Visitors
• And anyone else affected

to document their experiences with:

• Rights violations
• Retaliation for speaking up
• Abuse of authority
• Mishandling of public safety concerns
• Sunshine Law / open records problems
• Questionable ordinance changes (zoning, trailers, residency, etc.)
• Misconduct or corruption involving city officials, departments, or the circuit court

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How to Submit a Report

You can submit a report here:

👉 Click here to submit your report

The form will ask for:

• Your relationship to Carrollton / Carroll County
• Which departments or officials were involved (fire, police, code enforcement, zoning, court staff, judges, etc.)
• When and where the incident happened
• A brief summary and a detailed narrative of what occurred
• Whether you believe there has been retaliation after you complained or took legal action
• Whether your situation involves a disability, ADA, or Fair Housing issues
• Any supporting evidence, such as documents, photos, or records you want to upload

You can also note any agencies or officials you’ve already reported the situation to (Mayor, Board of Aldermen, Attorney General, CRRD, SSD, etc.) and what outcome you hope to see.

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Anonymity & Privacy

• You may submit your report anonymously if you prefer.
• If you choose to provide your name and contact information, you can let us know whether you consent to being contacted for follow-up.
• You may also choose whether you consent to your story being shared publicly (with identifying details removed where possible).

Submitting a report through this form does not create an attorney–client relationship and is not a substitute for legal advice. If you are facing an urgent or dangerous situation, you should contact appropriate authorities or a qualified attorney.

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Why This Matters

Many people feel alone, unheard, or intimidated when dealing with local government, public safety, housing, and the court system. Collecting detailed, documented reports in one place helps:

• Identify patterns of behavior
• Preserve timelines and evidence
• Support future legal, advocacy, or policy efforts
• Make it harder for serious issues to be quietly ignored

If you—or someone you know—has experienced serious problems with the Town of Carrollton, its departments, or related county or circuit court actors, please consider sharing your story.

👉 Submit a report here:
https://draincarrollton.com/index.php/report-carrollton-misconduct/

Feel free to share this link with others who have been affected. The more voices that are documented, the harder they are to dismiss.