Greenback meeting canceled as ne

Greenback meeting canceled as new mayor clashes with aldermen

New Mayor DeWayne Birchfield has canceled the first meeting of the year for the Greenback Board of Mayor and Aldermen amid a rocky transition to office.

According to a public notice submitted to The Daily Times by new Greenback City Recorder Deborah Bowman, the meeting was canceled “due to circumstances beyond Mayor Dewayne Birchfield’s control” and there will be no city council meeting in January.

The meeting, scheduled for Jan. 8, officially was canceled on Thursday. With the previous two meetings being canceled by outgoing Mayor Tom Peeler, the city’s governing body has not met since October and likely won’t meet again until February, according to Birchfield.

“I’d like to make it up as soon as possible, but with all that’s going on, it will probably be February,” Birchfield said. “With all that we need to do and everything that’s gone on, I want to make sure we do it right and everything is on kilter.”

With former city recorder, treasurer and human resources director Norma Peeler leaving at the end of her husband’s term after 40 years in office and both Alderwoman Polly Evans and City Attorney James Scott resigning the day Birchfield took office, the new mayor originally planned to begin the process of filling these positions at the meeting.

However, remaining Aldermen Delmar Davis and Johnny Walker immediately opposed Birchfield’s appointment of Bowman, making clear to the new mayor that they were not willing to cooperate.

“They told me that I couldn’t hire anyone and that I had to go through them,” Birchfield said. “My understanding is that I can appoint someone and then it goes to them, but I need to know for sure before I take these hires to the public.”

Birchfield is set to meet today with a prospective new attorney who serves a different local municipality to clarify the laws for new hires, due to the city office’s inability to produce a 2013 personnel policy that reportedly defines procedure.

“I knew there was some stuff going on when I was an alderman, but the vote was always stacked on (Peeler’s) side,” Birchfield said. “I hope it’s not that way, but we will have to see.”

While Birchfield will appoint a replacement for Evans, the other three members of the board are Walker, Davis and Peeler’s daughter, Robin Blankenship.

“I just want to get stuff on track and know where we’re starting,” Birchfield said. “But after more than 40 years (of Peeler in office), I just keep finding something new every time I walk in the door.”