City employees are not getting paid today because there is no mayor to sign the checks.
Today is payday for all city employees but the checks are put on hold until some issues can be ironed out as to who may have the authority to sign checks. The mayor’s signature is required to pay all city bills. The office of mayor has been vacated since a ruling last Friday from Circuit Judge Judy Vance throwing out the mayoral election and mandating that a new election be held. The board of elections has voted to appeal the ruling but the appeal must be filed and a bond must be paid before the mayoral office can be filled.
The city has failed to put in place in the past an order that sets guidelines for conducting day-to-day business when the mayor is unable to perform his or her duties for any reason. Because there is no official order in place, bills are not being paid, including payroll, and city employees are left wondering who is in charge.
