The Marion City Council met Monday for the first time since the Alabama Attorney General’s Office announced an investigation into the city’s finances involving $1.7 million in possible missing water utility payments, but the investigation didn’t take center stage.

Marion’s April 6 City Council meeting instead featured deep divisions and persistent confusion among several council members over basic procedures of municipal government, leading to repeated clashes with Mayor Dexter Hinton and City Clerk Laura Hinton as they attempted to guide the council through routine business.

Much of the friction centered on council members’ misunderstanding of how minutes, bids and work sessions function under Alabama law. The council even struggled to approve the minutes, which is a routine measure.

Todd and Cindy talk about the council's issues in this segment of the Black Belt Newscast.

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