MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) – Court-ordered mediation to try to resolve the dispute between Prichard Mayor Carletta Davis and the City Council has failed.
The mayor and council have sued each other over a power dispute. The mayor in June asked a judge to rule that she acted within her authority to block the council from hiring a firm to conduct an independent review of city finances and to quash subpoenas the council issued to city employees.
Council members countered by seeking a ruling that the mayor exceeded her authority by signing contracts without council approval. They cited a $120,000 contract to hire a public works director through an engineering firm and nearly $400,000 in executive staff salaries. The council asked the judge to mandate approval for any city expense greater than $10,000…