JENNINGS, Mo. — Days after several City of Jennings officials and employees resigned en masse, Mayor Gary Johnson held a press conference at Jennings City Hall on Friday.
During the press conference, a written statement was shared with reporters.
The statement said the terminations at Jennings City Hall of former City Attorney Sam Alton and former City Clerk Deletra Hudson were to increase "efficiency and transparency at City Hall." In the statement, the mayor said Alton also represented the St. Louis Prosecuting Attorney's Office, and he referred to the multiple roles Hudson performed in addition to City Clerk before her resignation, namely human resources administrator and interim finance director.
"Having these persons fulfill such crucial roles represented a conflict of interest and a blatant disregard of checks and balances in the City of Jennings," The mayor said in the written statement. "I will not tolerate such discrepancies under my leadership."
"Mayor Johnson recommended to the Jennings City Council the voting and approval of terminations of the Building Department Manager and Code Enforcement inspector and ended the contract of the Legal Consultant," according to a written statement shared during the press conference. "Following the terminations, the City Clerk (HR Administrator and Interim Finance Director) and the Accounting Coordinator tendered their resignations effective on Aug. 18."
The release would go on to say the mayor accepted the resignations.
The mayor's office announced seven new hires to fill the following vacancies: finance director, building administrative assistant, two correctional officers, human resources coordinator, part-time building administrative assistant and an independent legal consultant. The release said all were unanimously approved by the Jennings City Council.
The list of Jennings City employees who resigned includes former City Attorney Sam Alton who called the mayor's actions "illegal, unethical, immoral, retaliatory and racist."
Alton said Johnson called an August 9 council meeting without Alton's knowledge to terminate Alton. Alton said Johnson was retaliating after Alton suggested that the city get a warrant to tow cars from private property.
5 On Your Side sat down with the mayor after the press conference and asked him about the allegations against him that he created a 'hostile and unethical' work environment.
"One of the people that complained interviewed for a position to move up, so if it's a hostile environment, why are you trying to move up to a permanent a more permanent position?" Johnson said.
Alton was one of the employees who claimed that, and he said the mayor's response to the allegations was a 'non-answer.'
"You don't have people that resign from jobs where they want to help the residents and help the city like we did like we do. Unless there's a good reason for it," he said.
Alton added the mayor did not fire him before he resigned, and that the Aug. 9 meeting violated several Sunshine laws.
"The vote was illegal per the statute, and ineffective things were added to the agenda by the mayor that day," he said.
While there's a lot going on in this small town in North County, Alton said he believes the mess is far from over.
"We're worried about the residents for the City of Jennings," he said.
Alton said he believes more resignations could be on the way.
The Friday press conference came hours ahead of a 5 p.m. emergency city council meeting.
On the agenda, the city council will vote to declare the council meeting on Aug. 9 as "unlawful and ineffective." They will also vote to rescind any vote that occurred and offer to rehire anyone who subsequently submitted resignations.
The city's accounting coordinator, department manager, and the contractor building the new city hall have also resigned.