Council Member and recently appointed Mayor Pro-tem Tammy Crane was sworn in as Cedar Bluff’s newest Mayor on Monday night. Crane, who has served on the council for the past two years, representing District 2, will replace Martha Baker, who abruptly resigned during a special-called meeting on May 19th. The vote was not unanimous, however, as Council Member Billie Burkhalter voted against the appointment.
Prior to the meeting, Burkhalter presented each of the council members with a letter, in which she expresses her disdain for being stripped of the position of Mayor Pro-tem during the May 19th meeting. She also addresses her reasoning for voting to rescind her own appointment, then voting in favor of Crane as Mayor Pro-tem. You can read the letter in its entirety below.
Outgoing Mayor Martha Baker stated that today would be her last day as mayor and only “wished the best for the town.”
The positions of Town Clerk and Assistant Town Clerk were also filled, with Susie Surrett (pictured, right) being named Town Clerk, while Sabrina Minton (pictured, left) was appointed as Assistant Town Clerk, pending background checks. Those positions had also been vacated last month, with the resignations of former Assistant Town Clerk Kelley Burnett on May 12th and former Town Clerk Chelsey Chandler on May 19th.
Two vacant seats on the Cedar Bluff Utilities Board were filled, with the council voting to appoint Mike Howard and Council Member Norman Burton.
The council also approved of David Dobbins as the newest volunteer firefighter.
Following a motion from Burton, the council agreed to put the $2,000 per month that the town receives from the lease agreement with AT&T into the Parks and Recreation budget with the stipulation that it is not touched until current litigation is resolved.
The next regular Cedar Bluff Town Council Meeting is scheduled for Monday, July 14th, at 5:30 pm.
“Madam Mayor and Council Members
I don’t believe I have ever been hurt as badly as I was at the called council meeting on May 19 when Mayor Baker rescinded my appointment as Mayor Pro-tem, in an open council meeting. I was unaware of this, I still don’t know why. If I had done something to cause this I should have been told in an Executive Session and given me a chance to defend myself, I have voted against some things recently that I didn’t think was for the good of our town and/or not being done as called for in the Code of Alabama, and I plan to continue to do so.
I have had people to ask me why I voted for rescinding my appointment as Mayor Pro-tem and then voted for a new Pro-tem. I was in a state of shock and I thought that if they didn’t want me I wanted no part of it. Since then I have had it on my mind 24/7 and now I have had a change of heart and I decided that I was elected by the people to help run our town and I intend to continue to do so. Some people may not agree with me but I plan to do what I think is in the best interest of OUR town.
I was expected to resign tonight and I know some people are very disappointed. Tonight is a good example. The agenda reads: Appointment of two (2) members to the Utility Board and to my knowledge there has been no group council discussion as to who to appoint to this board and/or reappoint the current board members, if so I was not included in the discussion.”
-Council Member Billie Burkhalter