Itta Bena Mayor J.D. Brasel said this morning that the Board of Aldermen's decision not to reinstate Police Chief Kary Ellington was based on the city's new administration and requests from citizens.
"We had a new administration going in," Brasel said. "Anytime you have a new administration, you have changes like this."
Brasel also said the decision represented the will of the majority of people in Itta Bena.
The mayor declined to comment on reasons why citizens and members of the Board of Aldermen did not want Ellington reinstated.
"There were some questions about his performance, and a lot of people had their own reasons," Brasel said.
According to the city clerk, the Board of Aldermen voted 3-2 on June 17 not to reinstate Ellington.
The mayor met with Ellington Thursday to discuss the chief's dismissal. Ellington has said that he showed the mayor evidence to dispute the allegations that he did not solve cases in the city. The mayor said Ellington did show him paperwork.
The mayor and Board of Aldermen are meeting in a special session at 6:30 this evening to discuss hiring new officers in the police department. Brasel said there were no plans to take action on hiring a new chief or naming an acting chief. However, he said the situation may be discussed.
The mayor said the next regular meeting of the board will be Aug. 7. He said the vacancy in the police chief's office was the most pressing issue for the aldermen to address.
Ernest "Big Mike" Hawkins, a supporter of the mayor in this year's election, said he agreed with the board's decision to fire Ellington.
"I think this should be a sign of relief because the city was running on its own, and the chief was never there to do his job," Hawkins said.
Hawkins said Ellington was difficult to find when he was needed and often did not respond to requests by citizens.
