At last night’s High Point City Council meeting, council member Foster Douglas addressed the $32,000 he owes the city following the dismissal of a civil rights lawsuit he and his brother brought against the city back in 2002:
Douglas was hardly apologetic about the issue Monday.
He said that since 2006, the city has spent $207,335.65 for health insurance for council members who elect to have coverage through the city. He argued that he has “saved the city” more than $56,000 by buying his own health insurance since he’s been on council. Douglas said he was not going to ask that his debt be covered by this.
“My colleagues will decide how we work this out,” he said.
I say good for Douglas for not putting the taxpayer on the hook for health insurance when he evidently has the means to buy his own. But as City Manager Strib Boynton pointed out, the real issue is Douglas still owes the city $32,000 due legal action he brought based on highly questionable evidence, as many civil rights cases are.
