On last week
there was a standing room crowd only at Prichard City Hall, and on this week it
moved to the Courthouse and landed in Judge Charles Garrick courtroom on
yesterday.
There is a looming fight over former Police Chief Jimmie Gardner
whom the newly elected mayor Troy Ephriam terminated due to a reasonable fact
of law. (His contract had expired.)
For a man that
once was the head of the local Mobile County NAACP, and was supposed to been
fighting for equal justice and fairness, and even upholding the law, seems to
not be abiding or willing to abide by the law himself.
In this battle for the police chief position in the city of Prichard should not be in the court hands in the first place. This is another show of a power grab by a certain group of people or individuals called the (Group of Five), which the city is trying to move away from and create a new image. But there is a fight and it’s all about power and control from the group of five.
Attorney E.J. Saad who is representing the former police chief said Gardner's firing was a "retaliation of bringing an ethics violation against the mayor."
Well it seems that attorneys will say what they clients want them to say, as long as they are getting paid and feel they can win a case. But the question is, whether what they are saying is true or not?
When I write my post I try and bring you facts and truth always. I attended a community meeting last fall a week before the city municipal runoff election for a new mayor, and then Chief Jimmie Gardner was a guest and spoke on behalf of the city and the police the department at Pure Word Church in Eight Mile in Council District 1. Here is what the chief said in quote … “We all know that there is an election coming up, and I don’t know if I will be your chief in the next administration or not, but I do hope so, because we have much to get done for the City of Prichard.”
It seems to me that back then the former police chief new the new mayor if elected, had a choice to pick whom he wanted to serve as his police chief for the City of Prichard.
Let us be informed that the former police chief filed a complaint with the Ethics Commission because his former boss loss an election, and he knew his job was on the line and his contract had not been properly approved by the council for an extension, so he knew if it was a matter of time if he is reappointed. Not only that, Jimmie Gardner also knew that complaints was being filed on him with the Ethics Commission as well for violations of campaign election laws, when he personally used city time and vehicles to install campaign tents for then mayor Ron Davis at his campaign headquarters on Wilson Ave. It don’t amaze me that he wanted to shift the burden and heat off himself and try to drum up some support in his favor.
Drumming up some support wasn’t hard to do, when he already had it. Jimmie Gardner is riding the support of all those former Prichard officials of Mayor Ron Davis administration, Councilwoman Ossa Edwards and former mayoral candidate Severia Campbell Morris, someone who I think is confused. Morris was critical of Gardner leadership and Ron Davis leadership in her reasoning for running for mayor.
On yesterday
Ossa Edwards was the only councilwoman to testify on behalf of Gardner and said
she supported the five-year agreements – which were presented while Ron Davis,
Ephriam's political opponent, was still mayor – because of Gardner's
performance.
"He
exhibited professionalism, honesty and loyalty," Edwards said. "My
belief is if it's not broken, why fix it?" quoted by the Mobile Register
or AL.com.
Ossa Edwards it
is broken, so it does needs to be fixed, meaning the contract is broken and not
correct. I wonder do she needs to even be on the council and not understand the
basics of governing and been there for now two terms.
Severia Campbell Morris is being used as the voice for the movement of supporters for Jimmie Gardner. She is organizing community meetings of basically the same people over and over again in different locations around the city. Not only that Severia Campbell Morris wants a recall election, how funny is that? I had to laugh hard on that one.
How can she petition for a recall election and be successful, when she didn’t even get enough support to even get herself in a decent run-off election to even try and lead the city of Prichard, not only that win an election.
Jimmie Gardner still claims he is the chief of Prichard, but with no contract. So I am still wondering myself, how? And you are not legally employed with a contract. And Ephriam attorney verified that on yesterday in court.
"His contract is no longer valid," Carter said about Gardner. "The temporary restraining order remains in effect. It's in the judge's hands. I think the law is clearly on our side."
Carter said a
contract voted on by the City Council on Oct. 25 – 11 days before
Ephriam was sworn in as mayor -- was invalid because it did not have the
approval of four council members. Only three voted in favor of it. It was also
a five year agreement, whereas previous agreements were no longer than two
years.
The council also
voted on Gardner's contract on March 22. Again, that vote did not muster four
votes Carter claims is legally required for it to be valid.
More info you should know is, former Mayor Ron Davis tried to give everyone a five year extension for job security and favoritism that was a part of his appointed administration. However he was not successful in doing so. Ron Davis did not want the newly elected mayor to have any possible way to appoint a new administration without having to payout a lot of finances to do so.
Here is my point, there is a witch hunt out for the city of Prichard. If one man can’t control the city then no one should. They are trying to keep a dark cloud over the city, so the city cannot be prosperous. Ron Davis still wants to be the mayor and have a voice, Severia Campbell Morris wants to be the mayor and wants to have control, but she finds herself being used in this evil witch-hunt. Ossa Edwards the former mayor Ron Davis favorite councilwoman, still have a seat on the council and he is the voice for the former mayor and not the citizens of her district on the council.
All of these individuals need to let it go and abide by the law, the same law they wish to and want to represent. I question the character and integrity of Ron Davis, Jimmie Gardner, Severia Campbell Morris and Councilwoman Ossa Edwards, as they continue to fight against what’s right and use lies and false pretense to cover up the truth.
When the people of Prichard spoke, they spoke loud and clear, that they wanted new leadership and a new vision. And now you have it, with the group of (5) heartbroken, upset and picking fights over progress.
Quoted by Al.com from yesterday court session, "We are very disturbed over this whole situation," Severia Campbell Morris, president of the community group, said. "It will be a big issue in this city. It's not going away." It’s not a big issued when it comes to a mayor doing what’s right and abiding by the law. This is another testament of the witch-hunt of the group of (5).
