Discussion of tornado debris pick up stirs up a storm of its own as Council President Young and Mayor Perkins clash over ‘disrespect’

A discussion about picking up tornado debris caused a storm of its own at Tuesday’s Selma City Council meeting.

Selma Mayor James Perkins Jr. told the council that he and Council President Warren “Billy” Young had discussed contracting with an engineering firm to pick up debris that may be left after the state’s contract with the current vendor expires on March 17.

Young said that he was pleased there’s a plan for how to deal with debris that will be left after the initial cleanup, but he said he and mayor did not have that discussion. Perkins responded, “What I heard you just say, is, ‘Mayor, you are either lying or suffering from dementia.’”

Perkins then approached Young at his spot in front of the council chambers, leaned in and covered Young’s microphone with his hand. Perkins spoke to Young in a low tone. The conversation was intelligible to the audience.

Young was having none of it.

“First of all, you are out of order,” Young told Perkins. “I state my displeasure in the way you approached me just then. I did not say you had dementia, or you were lying.” Young said that he and Perkins did not discuss the contract “in its entirety,” so some of what he heard at the meeting was new information.

Young continued, “I have shown you respect. I expect you to show me respect as well. Never have I gotten up in your face. Let’s be real. That was very disrespectful. I felt disrespected. I have never been that way to you.”

More from this section

US court overturns $16.1 bn judgment against Argentina over oil firm seizure

Global trading system hit by 'worst disruptions in the past 80 years': WTO chief

Virus kills tiger cubs in Indonesian zoo

Perkins did not apologize. “The president is obviously upset,” Perkins said. “I really don’t care. I thought the public would be pleased we were having conversations to hammer out these details.”

When Young responded by repeating that he felt he was disrespected by the mayor, President Pro Tem Clay Carmichael moved to adjourn the meeting “so people can cool down a little bit.” Councilman Michael Johnson quickly seconded the motion, but the other councilpersons voted to continue the meeting.

Perkins left without further comment.

“At some point, these egos have got to go,” Councilwoman Leisa James said. “We can’t keep doing this at council meetings.

Johnson agreed. “If I had a gavel, I’d be pounding it,” he said.

You can find the exchange at around the 2:20 mark on the video of the meeting at either the city of Selma or Selma on the Record Facebook pages.