Council wants Nickles back

At Monday night's meeting, the Century Town Council voted 4 to 1 to approve Councilwoman Ann Brooks' request that the council ask Century's former town planner Debbie Nickles to reconsider resigning. Nickles submitted her resignation Dec. 19, the morning after the Century council meeting Monday, Dec. 18.

Councilwoman Brooks presented a list of more than eight projects Nickles is currently and will be working on for the town in the last three decades, and emphasized how important she feels Nickles' skill and knowledge is to Century.

When asked why she thought Nickles had resigned in the first place, Brooks said, "She was frustrated her recommendations were being attacked and disregarded."

Brooks asked for a motion to request that Nickles reconsider her resignation. Councilman Ben Boutwell made the motion, which was seconded by Councilman Gary Riley. Councilwoman Sandra Jackson McMurray, Brooks, Boutwell and Riley all voted yes.

Councilman Luis Gomez, Jr. was the only council member who voted no.

"I don't have a personal vendetta, I have no kind of ill feelings for anyone on the council or in the city government," said Gomez. "Basically I want to start fresh in the town of Century because I'm green when it comes to politics. I just want to make it better living for the people in Century. The way they did business at that time was not kosher. I was looking for a reason to honor that decision. They never had a contract, they never voted on it they never met with the town. Truly, I am in there to root out corruption. They're looking at us for reasons to screw up. Mrs. Nickles has had a way of doing business that she's accustomed to. No one questions what she brings to the table. She is an employee and she is paid to do a job, she's been doing this for 30 years. I was here 20 years ago, and now there's half of what we had then. Maybe it's time to get someone new. It was my military background that made we vote no. She was there 30 years and the first time someone questions her, she walks away? I didn't ask her to resign, why should I have to ask her back? No hard feelings, it's just business. I want things to change, and it's not about Luis Gomez, it's about the town of Century."

"I don't have any feeling about this situation, I'm taking it in stride," said Century Mayor Henry Hawkins. "I wasn't happy when she resigned. I realize her value, but my approach coming in was, everybody should know what everybody else needs to know."

Nickles has agreed to return to working with Century and is looking forward to pursuing current and future projects for the town.

"Ann called me and asked me if I'd reconsider, and I did," said Nickles. "There are things I want to finish. I'm going to take it one day at a time and see how it goes."