Another petition in Fairhope

Mayor seeks signatures to get council to respect her authority

BY Cliff McCollum
Posted 3/17/17

There’s another petition circulating in Fairhope today, as Mayor Karin Wilson emailed city residents to ask for their support.

In a request sent from her city email, Wilson asks residents to …

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Another petition in Fairhope

Mayor seeks signatures to get council to respect her authority

Posted

There’s another petition circulating in Fairhope today, as Mayor Karin Wilson emailed city residents to ask for their support.

In a request sent from her city email, Wilson asks residents to sign a Change.org petition in order to “help protect the integrity of a mayor’s authority.”

“The city council and I don’t have to agree in order to move forward, and I think most will agree that there is a difference between ‘getting along’ and standing up for what is right,” Wilson wrote. “Change is difficult for some. However, the majority voted for this and recognize I that agreeing on everything equals status quo. You did not vote for this.”

Wilson goes on to say she wanted to hire a public works director weeks ago to deal with stormwater issues and other problems facing the city, but said the city can’t afford any more road blocks.

“The Mayor and city council have two distinct, separate roles,” Wilson said. “If council continues to try and block my authority to run the city effectively, it will take the same voice that voted in a new administration to once again support my authority to carry out my job.”

As of late Friday afternoon, the petition had 66 signatures.

Fairhope City Council President Jack Burrell said he felt it was regretful that Wilson decided to take this action.

“The council has only been exercising the powers given to us by state law,” Burrell said. “We have never done anything not within our own authority given to us. I just think this is an unfortunate situation we find ourselves in now.”

This petition follows another Change.org petition started by Fairhope residents calling for Wilson to resign following the firing to two longtime city employees, Sherry Sullivan and Jennifer Fidler.

That petition had 288 supporters sign on as of late Friday afternoon.