Low attendance delays Fairfield payroll approval vote

On Thursday, a special meeting will be called in Fairfield, because city workers have to get paid. City leaders were supposed to approve the payroll at Wednesday night's council meeting, but a lack of attendance forced the meeting to be cancelled.

Mayor Kenneth Coachman has called council members to meet Thursday morning at eleven to approve payroll. They have to meet a noon deadline or 150 people will not get paid.

Only two council members showed up last night when the important vote was supposed to be made. Those in attendance were Primus Mack and Jerry Yarbrough.

One person who was not there was Ves Marable. In another twist of events, his picture had been removed from the city hall and his name plate was removed from the council chambers. Marable lost his seat in the general election and Mayor Coachman wonders if he has given up on the rest of his term.

Mayor Coachman says the most important issue is to get paychecks to more than 150 city employees. He says he is calling on the Alabama League of Municipalities for advice on his next move.

Council member Frederick Scott says he was not at the meeting to tend to his sick wife. He is in a mayoral runoff with incumbent Coachman. He says the mayor had the authority to approve payroll last night and does not have the power to call an emergency meeting.

Copyright 2012 WBRC. All rights reserved.