FAIRHOPE, Alabama—The City Council voted 4-1 on Oct. 10 to pay the $20,647 in legal fees of Police Chief Bill Press for his successful defense of an ethics complaint initiated last year by Mayor Tim Kant.

In August, the Alabama Ethics Commission found insufficient evidence that the ethics laws were violated, following two hearings in Montgomery, which Press attended with his private attorney Vince Kilborn.

“I think it’s a dangerous precedent to set,” said Councilman Mike Ford, who voted against the measure, referring to the city’s paying of legal fees for a city official. Other council members noted the city has paid the legal costs of other officials such as Kant in many cases.

Kant has said the 2010 letter he sent to the commission questioned Press’ use of the Friends of Fairhope Police Department bank account in paying off-duty officers.

That bank account pre-dated Press’ 2009 employment with the city, and he has said that changes were made in how off-duty work and the account were handled in order to correct past abuses and problems.

In other business, the council heard a report from Kant that the city has hired Pandora Heathcoe, formerly his executive assistant, as the top human resources staff person in the city.

The former HR director was terminated earlier this year, and the city clerk has handled the position’s duties since then. Heathcoe’s new job title and salary were not immediately available from the city.