At a special called meeting on May 8, the Magee Board of Aldermen entered executive session to discuss personnel and “the job performance of a person in a specific position.”
According to the minutes of that meeting, Mayor Dale Berry was asked to recuse himself during the board’s discussion. Following the discussion, Berry returned to the meeting, and a motion was made by Alderman Mark Grubbs and seconded by Alderman Sammie Tebo asking Berry to resign from his position as mayor due to creating a hostile working environment and using his position to gain pecuniary benefits for himself, a relative, or his own business.
In speaking with the paper concerning the board’s request, Berry said that the meeting was called by Alderman Tebo on May 8 around lunchtime to discuss personnel and began at 5 p.m. Berry said he asked the board what the meeting was about before being asked to recuse himself. He said he sat in his office for an hour before being asked to rejoin the meeting.
Berry said, “I walked back into the board room and Patrick Brown, mayor pro tem, was the speaker. Patrick said, ‘The board has discussed it and we are asking you to resign.’”
Berry continued, “I asked why, and they said I was a total embarrassment to the City of Magee.”
The mayor addressed the official motion of his creating a hostile working environment and using his position for pecuniary benefits.
He said, “That is not true. The claims docket is public record from where all the checks are issued. I welcome the public to come and look at it and see where you have ever seen a check written to a Berry or any of my relatives.”
Berry said that he drives his personal vehicle and buys his own gas rather than using a vehicle provided by the city. He also said he has never sold the city any property or vehicles.
He added, “They went on record making these accusations. Now they are going to have to prove it. They made the accusations and I want them to prove it. The city has never been on my property, never been on Hal’s (the mayor’s brother) property. There has never been a check written to Dale Berry, Hal Berry, my daughters, or Brentley (the mayor’s son).”
Berry addressed the hostile working environment claim, saying he believes it stemmed from an incident that happened on the morning of May 8. Berry said a citizen came into City Hall that morning and asked to speak with Zoning Director Penny Aguirre. Berry said the conversation was held in front of several witnesses. Alderman Brown later called and asked if there were any problems at City Hall and arrived shortly after to speak with Berry.
Berry said he believes the board’s actions are politically motivated with elections happening next May. He said he believes some of the aldermen want to run for mayor in that election.
He said, “I told them I was elected just like you all were, and I am not going anywhere until next May unless the good Lord takes me away. I’m not resigning. They are not going to slander my name and they need to prove these accusations.”
