Selective Memory

The Fairhope City Council pounced on Mayor Wilson for exercising her rights and responsibilities as Mayor to hire and fire employees.

Alabama Supreme Court rules mayors have power to hire and fire municipal employees

In Alabama, mayors alone have the power to hire and fire municipal employees, according to a state Supreme Court ruling in a Birmingham-area case that apparently also resolves the key dispute underpinning long-standing mayor-council power struggles in Fairhope and Daphne.

Source: blog.al.com/live/2011/06/alabama_supreme_court_mayors_d.html

The Council made it a point that they did not know the substance or details of the firing, however their reaction was swift. A special meeting was called. Kevin Boone chaired the meeting and again said they did not know the facts but council wanted a 60 day hiring freeze— effective immediately. I guess the council finds it appropriate to discipline the Mayor for doing her job. Trouble with that theory is it hurts the community as a whole and does nothing for employee relations. Monday night’s meeting was canceled and the next regular council meeting was March 9th, so the special meeting was all about show and power.

The council is listening out of one ear and that ear is belongs to the losing party in the last election, the good ole boys. They are not listening to the constituents that voted for change and transparency. They are ignoring facts for fiction.

If you read the Mayor’s timeline involving the Airport and watch the Youtube video by Dean Mosher,

and read the entire complaint involving the Airport and see no red flags, then you are not competent to serve as an elected official. I am not saying determining guilt. That’s for authorities. I am saying, seeing enough wrong that the city council should not turn a blind eye to potential and alleged corruption— just because it involves their friends.

The firing of Sherry Sullivan and Jennifer Fidler was no surprise. The surprise is that it did not happen sooner. Sullivan and Fidler never accepted the election results and refused to accept change. Instead, they played political games that cost them their jobs. They were warned by family, friends and employees that they were working for a different administration and were risking their jobs by undermining the new Mayor. What I find interesting, is that we do not know the real reason for termination. Nor have we heard a word from Fidler or Sullivan. They want to blame someone, blame Jack for his lack of leadership. He led them down the wrong path, but they were willing.

The only way the City Council is going to hear out of the other ear is for more citizens attending and PARTICIPATING. That means telling the council your feelings. Mr Burrell wants you to think he is allowing you the privilege to speak. That is the problem. It is your right and Mr. Burrell has lost his moral compass and forgot who he is working for. I hope the council likes eggs, because if they continue to follow Jack, they are going to have egg on their face— compliments of Jack.

The next city council meeting is March 9th, work session at 4:30 and meeting at 6:00 PM.

The next town Hall meeting is March 7th at Quail Creek.