After an executive session that lasted less than an hour, the Indianola Board of Aldermen emerged and, on a substitute motion by Alderman Ruben Woods, voted unanimously to rescind their previous decision to accept the resignation of Police Chief Edrick Hall and offer him a $66,000 annual salary.
The subsequent motion was made after the original proposal from Alderman Gary Fratesi that was seconded by Alderman Darrell Simpson, failed 3 to 2. Fratesi’s motion was to cancel Hall’s departure, offer him the $66,000 salary, plus an incrementally progressive contract that would increase his yearly pay to $70,000 by the fourth year.
Afterwards, when asked why they did not offer Hall the 4-year agreement, Woods responded, “That’s not what we agreed on. That’s not the original request.”
Woods said he and his fellow city policy-makers had agreed to give the chief a raise.
“We raised his salary substantially,” he said.
However, Woods said they had not agreed to the contract.
“I am assuming that’s the one that was offered to him, I don’t know, but that’s not the one we initially agreed on,” Woods said. “We had agreed to give him a raise, but not the four-year contract.”
Mayor Steve Rosenthal said, "When we left the very first meeting to discuss what we could do to keep Chief Hall our original discussion was $66,000 (and a) 4-year contract with $1,000 salary increases for each year starting with the second year."
He said he was surprised that Elder, Brock and Woods voted to withdraw the original offer to Chief Hall. Rosenthal said Simpson and Fratesi both agreed. "That's what we all discussed when we walked out of that meeting. That was, what was," he added.
Woods said he has concerns about the contract being one-sided in favor of Hall.
“Then how do you enforce that contract? How do you make him work if he decides that he’s sick of Indianola?” he asked.
Woods maintained that Hall’s work performance was not a factor in the “no” vote for the contract.
“I don’t have any problem with his work. (He’s a) good leader,” he said. “I feel like if he wants to go, he’s free to leave. I don’t have to have a contract to force a guy to stay.”
Woods said that the city has a lot of other things they are trying to do, but he’s not saying that the city cannot afford to pay the $4,000 over the next four years.
“But you open up a can of worms, creating a problem where everybody else wants a piece of the pie,” he said. “There’s a lot of other little things that goes in to it, we’ve got a lot of other people that want raises, they want the same things for themselves. We don’t have that type of money without raising taxes.”
Hall said on Tuesday that the lack of a contract is “a discouragement.”
According to him, his reason for asking for the four-year agreement had to do with him being classified as an at-will employee. Based on that, he said the board could terminate him at anytime without cause.
Hall said he just wants a written agreement that states he can be terminated only “If” he does something wrong, unethical or was derelict in his duties, not because a board member is having a bad day.
“If I do something, then terminate me,” he said. “I have a family to take care of.”
As it stands, the city decision-makers can terminate the chief’s employment at-will. Hall said a valid reason for termination is required for any of his officers and staff, but not for him.
“They (the aldermen) don’t need a reason to terminate me,” he said.
Woods said he hopes this effort by the board will be viewed as a compromise.
“I want to say at least we tried, it might not have been exactly what he wanted but I think it was fair, that’s just my opinion, I think it was fair,” he said.
Although the approval to rescind their original decision was on the open agenda, the members voted 3 to 2 to move it to closed session on a motion made by Alderman Sam Brock. Elder seconded the motion and Brock, Woods and Elder voted yes, while Simpson and Fratesi voted no.
Several city police officers and other staff members, along with a large cross-section of private citizens showed up in support of Hall at Monday night’s meeting.
Police dispatcher supervisor Cheryl Brown was one of the persons who took to the podium to speak up in support of Hall remaining in his position.
“This is not about Chief Hall,” Brown said. “This is about having the right person to do the right job (and) what is right.”
The nine-year veteran employee said Hall’s administration is the fourth that she has experienced during her tenure with the department and the “spirit” of the department is better now than ever before.
She acknowledged that some might think so, while others may not, “But he’s not there to make friends, he’s there to do a job, and he’s been doing a great job.” Brown agreed that the city has crimes and that there will always be criminal acts, but as a dispatcher, Brown assured them that the crime rate was down.
Brown told of all of the chief’s efforts to keep the morale up among her colleagues and noted that when the morale is up, “you get more work” out of the workers.
Brown said she has received only one pay raise since she has been employed at the department.
“When you’ve got somebody that’s treating you right and appreciates the work that you do, you overlook that and say this person is worth me getting up and coming to work, doing the work that I have to do,” she said.
She emphasized that their desire to keep Hall on was because of the citizens and the town.
Brown’s remarks culminated in the statement that she and her co-workers love and respect Hall and a plea to the officials to give Hall back to them, “Don’t take this away from us.”
Her discourse was followed by remarks from Double Quick area managers Ondina Johnson and Lucinda Perkins, who made an appeal to the aldermen.
“Do whatever you can to keep Chief Hall in Indianola,” Johnson said.
Indianola Academy Headmaster Sammy Henderson followed them and spoke on the tremendous change he has witnessed in the city since Hall took over as chief.
Henderson pronounced his great respect for Hall, deemed him accessible with a love for the city.
“We don’t need to lose him,” he said.
Citizens Rodney Hawkins and Driefus Smith also addressed the city board with the intent to encourage them to keep Hall on as chief.
Rosenthal said afterwards, "Chief Hall has taken a police department that no one had any confidence or trust in and has turned it into one of the most well respected, professionally-run police departments in the Delta area."
Hall stood and addressed the sizeable crowd and offered his gratitude to them and his staff for their support.
“Eighty-five percent of my staff is standing behind me, but 100 percent do their job, so whether you support me as your chief or you do it for the city, I thank you for it,” he said.
Hall then attempted to clarify how the situation that brought them to this point derived.
“I made the decision to step down and resign. The board did not terminate me,” Hall said. “I got tired of a lot of things that were going on, but so many of you have called me and reached out to me that wanted me to stay and stay in the fight, so that’s why I decided to try to rescind.”
Hall granted that the decision now lies with the city officials, but disclosed his belief that he would survive regardless of the board’s decision.
“God’s going to bless me whether I am here or in Columbus,” Hall said. “And no matter what happens, keep these guys in blue in your prayers.”
At a special meeting earlier in the month, Hall's final day was extended to July 10, but in light of the board's rescission, he is currently still employed by the city of Indianola.
"I do expect an answer by Thursday," Rosenthal said.
In other decisions from the executive session, the board voted unanimously to accept the resignation of firefighter and former assistant fire chief Johnny Hughes.
