MAYOR PROTECTING INDIAN TRAIL?

I wrote recently that the Town Council had been getting along with each other and working seemingly together to accomplish town business. The council had a recent meeting on June 9th and what had been a very quiet time since the John Munn firing has now gone into another realm. During this meeting Dan Schallencamp asked Mayor Moore about an email address located in the family of email addresses. He asked a couple of different times. The answer that he got was that the Mayor didn't know but would ask the computer admin person about it. Shirly Howe advised the Mayor that she had called him earlier and was advised that the email address in question was the Mayor's secret account designed so she could view all emails in the towns system. The mayor admitted this to be correct at that point, justifying her actions by saying that John Munn had been fired without cause and she didn't trust Fern Shubert. Please let me stress what the Mayor did was not illegal in anyway, however it does call into question what I will call "morality" of her actions. Seemingly lost in all this, but not ignored was the fact that the Mayor also believes she is entitled to spend town money without authorization. Which could be considered criminal though to my knowledge the town has no rules regarding this and may technically not be illegal? The whole episode brings a lot of questions to the surface and some underlying points have to be made.
1. Until recently the council had never adopted rules of procedures.
2. I am not sure if the Mayor, Council, and Town Manager quite understand their roles and responsibilities, and if so nothing has ever been put on paper.
3. In the past, the Mayor, Council, Town Manager seem to operate on "perceived power" or "perceived responsibilites" rather than the actual.
4. The council has to draft rules and responsibilities for all parties.
5. Authorization for spending has to be clearly outlined and understood. Check writing ability requires 2 signatures but in mind opinion should be very limited except in a time of dire emergency.
6. Mayor should have some ability to discretionary purchases say up to a maximum of say $500.00. Should be authorized by the Town Manager prior to purchase if possible and all receipts logged and submitted via expense reports.
7. The Town Manager has to be able to run the town. Period!! That is why you pay that person so handsomely. There should be limits on that purchase power also..and then council should be advised to monies spent and authorization from the council should be required on budget items. The manager can move $5,000 between accounts already.
8. All people using the town email server should understand that emails are normally not confidential, and you have no right to privacy. Depending on what you do with your computer you could possibly lose your job.

So what does all this mean?? It means there are more bumps in the road for this council. It means there is a definitive split or separation between the old and new. Some will be solved with learning a new way of doing business. Adapting and working for the good of the town. It won't be easy, due to the fact there are distinct philosophical differences. Don't get me wrong, I believe the Mayor thinks she did nothing wrong. You will never change her mind about that. Just won't happen. The thing to do is move on. More likely, the next meeting or two will be about her trying to get even from what she will perceive as a personal attack. She will probably attack in the form of what I will call her "soapbox" with a lot of backing from her supporters in the audience. It will be shame but history tends to repeat itself and probably will again.