It's getting real in Latta, SC. The Mayor hired a new sheriff before the old one can be reinstated.
LATTA, S.C. — The results from Tuesday’s referendum in Latta are scheduled to be certified at 11 a.m. today at the Dillon County Courthouse. And if everything goes as expected, Latta residents could see changes before the end of the day. Latta residents voted 328-147 on Tuesday to change the town’s form of government from strong mayor-weak council to strong council-weak mayor.
Members of the council announced Thursday they don’t plan to waste any time getting to work.
They’ll hold a special public meeting at 7 p.m. Friday at the Latta Community Center during which they say they’ll address several ongoing controversial decisions Mayor Earl Bullard has made since taking office in January.
First on the agenda, council members say, is the rehiring of former Latta Police Chief Crystal Moore.
“The vote will be certified at 11 a.m.. After the Secretary of State is notified by phone call, council will assume control of our town,” Councilman Jarett Taylor said. “Once that vote is certified, council will be giving Crystal Moore her job back.”
Bullard fired Moore after she refused to sign seven unexplained reprimands — the first of her 23-year career in law enforcement — that Bullard presented to her on the same day. Council members pleaded with Bullard to reinstate Moore, to no avail, and finally voted in May to let the town’s citizens decide whether they wanted council or the mayor in charge of the town’s business.
Less than 24 hours after the referendum passed, Bullard announced he’d hired Freddie Davis to be the town’s new police chief. Davis’ resume includes past work in law enforcement at the Florence Police Department, Pamplico Police Department, Florence County Sheriff’s Office, Kingstree Police Department and, most recently, the Hemingway Police Department, where he was employed as a captain. According to a copy of Davis’ contract obtained by the Morning News, Davis is scheduled to start work as chief on July 1.
But that doesn’t look likely to happen at this point, if the town’s council has anything to do with it. Additionally, state law doesn’t stipulate any waiting period on the transition in government forms.
“The statute is truly silent on when the change is effective,” said Bill Taylor, a field manager with the Municipal Association of South Carolina. “However, it’s been our recommendation that it should take place after the election is certified by the municipal election commission. So our opinion would be that absent any other problems, council can move forward with conducting business under the new form of government right after Friday’s certification.”
http://www.scnow.com/news/article_0da6e542-fd8c-11e3-a5f4-0017a43b2370.html
Now he's made the citizens real mad. If he gets to have a key to the bathroom I'd be surprised.
One council member was surprised at the hiring because she said there was no money to hire anybody. Another member said that he can't hire anybody without council approval even under the old rules.
And Freddie Davis is a fool for taking the job. I bet the mayor told him it would be if fine and that it would all blow over.
Not.Gonna.Happen.
Davis said he and his wife prayed about taking the job. They better pray again and hear another answer.
You don't treat people like this. Everybody knows everybody in a town like Latta. They were happy with Moore on the job and her sexual orientation wasn't a problem. They knew about it but most probably have known her since she was little. They might not approve, but it wasn't something that got in anybody's way. I know some like Bullard had a problem, but not nearly a majority.
None of these people will be leading a gay rights parade. However, they do know Moore and know that nobody has ever been hurt because of her lifestyle. This is how progress is made in some places.
On the other hand, the DO know Bullard is a mean,nasty, pigheaded fool who wasn't raised right. Everybody at that meeting tonight will probably say, "Bless his heart " right before they shite on his plans.