It's no wonder, either; the city has a long history of running over business and residents with the Mayor at the wheel. take for instance CJ's Grocery, a little, small store that had served Melissa residents for over 10 years. It's closed now- to make way for a wider road and a bike trail.
"Dorman came thru my drive-thru about three days before I closed," says Joe, the sole surviving owner of the store he and his brother started after immigrating from Pakistan. His brother passed away a few years ago, leaving Joe to take care of the business and his family. "He had a guy in his car that bought a pack of cigarettes. Dorman gave me the money, I gave him the change, they left. He never said a word to me. After 10 years, he never even said a word to me."
Strange behavior, some say, for a Mayor who pledged two weeks later as he began his campaign for re-election to bring business to Melissa- and who serves as the President of the Melissa Economic Industrial Development Corporation.
"You would think that the MEIDC would have offered him a way to stay in Melissa," other business owners comment. "He seems intent on driving business away."
Observations, unfortunantly, backed up by a long history of news stories and litigation. It started as soon as the Mayor took office, 12 years ago. First, it was an RV sales and service center that planned to open on highway 121. "Not so fast," said the Mayor. Then it was a Brookshires grocery store. "Not there", said the Mayor. Then it was Wildwood RV Campground. "We don't need you in my town", said the mayor. And then it was Clear Cube Ice. "I want your land," said the Mayor. And then there was an insurance company: "Not on that land", said the Mayor. And the list goes on and on.
The Mayor touts all he's done for Melissa: Brought a water tower to Melissa when the town couldn't afford to buy the land. He's found a way to pat himself on the back for buying land and selling it back to the city- but long time residents and business owners point out that when, according to Dorman, the city couldn't afford to buy land for a water tower it was because Dorman was using their money to fight local businesses in court, trying to take their land.
It's behavior that continues to this day, as evidenced in this video, taken a couple of weeks ago at a Melissa City Council meeting. In it a local land owner blasts the mayor for not allowing him to use his land.
As the person who posted the video notes- the sound get's much better as the video continues.
