Century Council members were at odds Monday night on approving the firing of an employee at Century City Hall hired by Mayor Henry Hawkins without the council's prior consent.
Hawkins requested approval to hire Jolene Tipton at $9 an hour to work at the service payment window, although Tipton had already worked that day. Hawkins said he hired Tipton because former employee Christina Covan moved out of town and current employee Toni Simmons was on maternity leave so the staff was short.
Councilwoman Ann Brooks told the mayor that the town of Flomaton was run with two employees and she did not see how Century needed six employees.
“We've spent over $1 million for employee pay and benefits,” said Brooks.
Brooks also said that by allowing Tipton to begin working and afterward request approval from the council to hire her is not the way the Century Charter reads. Brooks reminded council members that the mayor is supposed to bring any hiring of personnel to the council for approval before they are hired, and stated that the mayor did not follow the law.
“To ask after the fact isn't the same thing,” said Brooks. “We don't need six people working in town hall.”
Brooks then asked the council for a motion to not hire Tipton but since she had already begun working that day, to offer her the option to only work another two weeks until Simmons returned from maternity leave, and if Tipton declined that offer, approval to use a temporary employee from a temp agency to fill in meanwhile.
Brooks told council members that she has heard from CPA Robert Hudson that the employees at twon hall have a lot of free time and she suggested down sizing the staff would save the town some money and help keep expenditures within the budget.
Councilman Ben Boutwell and Brooks voted yes, while Councilwoman Sandra McMurray Jackson, Councilman Luis Gomez and Councilman Gary Riley voted no. The motion did not carry. Tipton is still employed at Century Town Hall.
