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.
The top issues handled in the meeting involved awarding bids for infrastructure projects.
Mayor Dexter Hinton presented bids for two projects: demolition of an old lime silo at the city’s water plant and installation of a telemetry system intended to help address ongoing water pressure complaints on Centerville Street.
The demolition project received six bids ranging from $33,650 to more than $210,000, while the telemetry upgrade received a single bid.
Mayor Hinton reminded the council that under Alabama law, municipalities must typically select the lowest responsible bidder unless there is a documented reason to reject the bid.
Council members initially voted down both proposals, with several expressing hesitation amid the ongoing investigation. However, after further discussion later in the meeting, the council unanimously approved awarding the demolition contract to the lowest bidder, Beekerman Construction.
When voting for the telemetry upgrade, Councilman Stanley Kennie referenced the investigation directly. “I’m scared to do anything now under this,” Kennie said. “When you subpoena me, they got my name on that subpoena. That’s my livelihood.”
City Attorney Ainka Jackson with Hank Sanders law firm cautioned the council that refusing to conduct city business could worsen the city’s legal position.
“If you all uniformly stop, it’s actually going to cause so much more litigation and subpoenas and issues,” Jackson said.
The Attorney General’s investigation was announced last week and centers on the handling of water and sewer payments. The state is seeking extensive financial records from the city related to the utility system.
City Clerk Laura Hinton addressed the issue during the meeting, reading portions of the subpoena and explaining the records requested by the state. She said the city’s payment procedures are documented and said the utility office does not accept cash payments.
“There’s nothing to hide,” Hinton told the council. “Checks are made payable to the Marion Water and Sewer, not to Mrs. Laura Hinton, not to (Mayor) Dexter Hinton… There’s no missing monies.”
Mayor Hinton proposed holding weekly work sessions so council members could review major issues facing the city, including water meter replacements, regulatory deadlines with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management and the risk of losing state and federal funding tied to infrastructure projects.
Some council members objected to the additional meetings. Kennie said he did not plan to attend weekly sessions, noting that council members receive $400 per month.
“I ran for this office to give you two meetings a month for $400. That’s it,” he said.
After extended debate, the council voted 4-1 to hold biweekly Tuesday work sessions, with Kennie casting the lone dissenting vote.
The meeting also included discussion during public comment about the city’s website and social media communication, including concerns that residents had been blocked from a Facebook page providing water system updates.
Following a 15-minute executive session, the council returned to approve corrected minutes from a previous meeting and finalize the demolition contract vote. The telemetry upgrade bid remained unresolved.
The Attorney General’s investigation into the city’s finances remains ongoing.
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