Nathan Prewett
CLAY, Ala. — A vote on whether to uphold the termination of Clay city employee Hunter Merola failed to pass during a city council meeting Tuesday night as officials were mixed on what recourse to take.
The former building inspector has been fired two times now by Mayor Jane Anderton. The first followed a dispute over alleged misconduct and unauthorized use of a city vehicle. The second took place following a disagreement over paperwork following Merola’s reinstatement.
Merola requested a hearing to appeal his second termination, which was held in an executive session on June 16, though no action would be taken until the meeting on Tuesday.
There was no discussion before the vote. Mayor Anderton and councilors Nathan Thompson and Chris Nail abstained, while councilors Jody Harris and Carla Youngblood voted yes and no respectively, causing the resolution to fail. Councilor Orletta Rush was absent.
The vote, however, was not the end of the matter. A discussion followed that determined another meeting would be held with Rush present to vote again.
A special-called meeting is set for Thursday at 5:30 p.m. in the council chamber.
During the work session, Anderton announced a resolution concerning the ownership of Wear Cemetery after apparent confusion about who the rightful owner was.
“A question has arisen concerning the city’s title to the Wear Cemetery,” she said. “And thanks to the assistance of a helpful and engaged citizen that question has now been resolved.”
She explained further that the citizen found a deed documenting the transfer from Shirley Construction to the city in 2003. The deed has been presented to the Jefferson County Tax Assessor with a request that the property is assessed in the city’s name.
“We’re grateful to the citizen who brought this important document forward,” Anderton said. “It’s a fine example of the community working together with local government and has allowed us to resolve this matter promptly and properly.”
The city is now working on securing a lawful ingress and egress access to the property as it is landlocked, which Anderton explained meant that there is no established public right of way or legal access route to enter or exit without crossing nearby private property.
Following remarks on the cemetery, she announced that all of the steps to implement the 5 mill ad valorem tax passed in May have been completed, but the county tax assessor notified the city that no record of the mandatory notification to remove the existing tax levy could be found.
“Had that oversight gone undetected city residents would have faced a serious consequence,” she said. “Not only would have the new 5 mill have taken effect but the prior levy would have remained on the books as well. That would have resulted in residents being assessed an unintended additional 5 mills on their county tax bills for the upcoming year.”
Anderton stated that the issue was addressed before any impact on taxpayers could take place.
“The necessary steps have been taken to ensure that residents will only see the properly authorized tax reflected on their mills,” she said.
Retired Center Point Fire District Battalion Chief Chris Horn (left) and Clay Councilor Jody Harris (right). Photo by Nathan Prewett.
A proclamation recognizing retired Center Point Fire District Battalion Chief Chris Horn was read by Harris. Horn was honored for his service in the district where he began as a volunteer before being hired full-time in 1990.
He was promoted to captain of logistics in 2019 and then to battalion chief of logistics in 2023. The proclamation describes him as a “model asset to the city of Clay consistently demonstrating professionalism, leadership and an unwavering commitment to the safety and well-being of the citizens.”
Horn retired in March, leaving behind a career of more than 38 years in firefighting.
Meetings take place every second and fourth Tuesday at Clay City Hall located at 2441 Old Springville Road. Pre-council begins at 6 p.m. followed by the regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. Meetings are recorded for the city’s YouTube channel.
Nathan Prewett can be reached at nthomasp6@gmail.com.
Note: This story was updated to correct the regular meeting dates and location of the council.
