10/21/09 - McNairy County

By: Mallory Cooke
mcooke@wbbjtv.com
6:45 p.m.
 
Three former city employees in Bethel Springs are up in arms.  Some of them believe city's Board of Aldermen fired them to get revenge on the mayor.
 
Currently, City Hall is empty.  The lights are off and the phones go unanswered. Alderman admit they fired the town's Recorder, Clerk, and the person who handles the Street, Water and Maintenance Departments.
 
Nancy McClain, the city's former Recorder said she tried to fight losing her job.  "I said you can fire me, but I am not resigning and then he made a motion to fire me," said McClain.
 
McClain believes the board's decision to let her go is not justified. "I felt like it was to get back at the mayor because they could not get rid of her, they were going to get rid of me," said McClain.
 
Alderman Vernon Hickman stands by his decision. He said McClain lacked good communication skills, but did not go into detail about the other two former workers. "We would never know what was going on. The mayor would know it all, but the board would never know what was going on," said Hickman.
 
The mayor fired two city employees several months ago, and according to several city alderman they were not happy about it. Hickman said the board did not fire the three workers to get back at the mayor. "We just felt like that was the right thing to do for the people that were mistreated earlier," said Hickman.
 
McClain maintains she did nothing wrong. "As long as you are doing the right thing, then things will turn out alright for you," said McClain.
 
One of the former city employees actually contacted the Tennessee Department of Labor and considered getting a lawyer. They told her because Tennessee is a Right to Work state, she does not have many options.