Brenda Spears challenged the vote held earlier this month to adopt a new utility police during Tuesday’s council meeting.

Spears contends the policy did not pass because there were two abstentions. With Mayor Freeman casting a vote in favor, that made four “Yea” votes out of eight, which Spears believes was not a majority.

Mayor Rick Freeman responded by saying Councilmen Frank Cobb and Ben Keller abstained because they rent property and could not vote due to ethical reasons.

He added, he checked with the State of Alabama, and the 4-to-2 vote was adequate to pass the ordinance.

An item that was originally on the agenda but was removed prior to the meeting was a measure to dissolve council committees.

Mayor Freeman says it was taken off the agenda because they want to meet with officials in Montgomery to check on the legality of such a move.

Mayor Freeman says that the move would be to keep council members from facing potential conflicts of interests because almost all of them own property or are kin to someone.

Freeman says the issue will likely be on a future agenda.

If the current committee’s are dissolved, the Mayor says he would then seek volunteers to serve as new appointees.

Also during Tuesday’s meeting, Mayor Freeman says someone keeps filing what he feels are frivolous complaints against him and some council members in Montgomery.

Rick Freeman Talks About Complaints

Mayor Freeman says before he or staff does anything, they consult the League of Municipalities and the Ethics Panel to make sure everything is done legally and ethically.