FAIRHOPE, Ala. - Mayor Tim Kant has sought to change how municipal employees are disciplined, but the city’s personnel manual requires that such changes be adopted by the City Council before taking effect.

Kant's proposal would require that supervisors first receive the mayor’s approval before taking disciplinary action against municipal employees.

The attempted action by the mayor was described in a June 30 memorandum to city managers and supervisors.

“Therefore, as the Mayor of the City of Fairhope, I am adding to the procedure for proposed disciplinary (action),” Kant's memo stated. “The addition will be that any proposed demotions, suspensions without pay, or dismissals must be approved by the Mayor prior to meeting with the employee(s) or sending the documentation to the Human Resources Department.”

The mayor's proposal would rewrite parts of Section 9 on “Discipline” in the city's personnel manual.

Kant’s memo cites Section 1.04 of the manual as authorizing the rules change, but that same section also states that any change in personnel rules must be adopted by the City Council.

Kant did not return a phone call for comment.