The Mobile City Council held a heated discussion during its weekly work session, with Council President C.J. Small and William Carroll threatening to hold up the entire agenda unless an investigation into allegations made by Paul Prine against the administration was passed. Councilman Ben Reynolds stated that he would not support a vote on the investigation until they had thoroughly discussed the details, including the scope of any approved investigation.
Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson informed the council that two “independent investigations” had been conducted following the allegations by Prine. These investigations were carried out by Burr-Foreman Law firm and City of Mobile’s Office of Professional Responsibility, according to Stimpson. She emphasized that there was no higher investigative authority in the state and that hiring another firm to conduct an investigation without prosecutorial powers would only add opinions to the mix and prolong the process.
Councilman William Carroll raised concerns about the investigations conducted, arguing that they were controlled by the administration and that their scope had been dictated by them rather than by the council which called for an independent investigation from an entity outside of the administration. Carroll along with Small and Penn expressed their reluctance to support other items on the agenda if an independent review was not passed that day. The council members disagreed over whether these investigations were independent enough or if further review was necessary to address Prine’s allegations against the administration.
Despite this disagreement, Stimpson emphasized her commitment to ensuring transparency in government and addressing any wrongdoing in a fair manner. She urged Council members to work together towards finding a resolution that would bring closure to both Prine and his accusers while also protecting innocent parties from unfounded accusations.
As a result of this heated discussion, The Mobile City Council decided not to take any action on this issue at this time but promised to continue discussing it at future meetings until they come up with a satisfactory solution for everyone involved.
