FAIRHOPE, Alabama—Three years after the City Council appointed Gregg Mims to a city administrator position it created by ordinance in 2009, Mims has resigned, having learned that a majority of the newly elected council—and Mayor Tim Kant—intended to eliminate the job and not keep him on with the city. 

“The mayor and I met the first week of October,” Mims said today. “He said it was the intention of three of the four new council members to eliminate the job, and it was also his intention to eliminate the job. And based on that, that same week I made the decision to leave the city. I thought it was best for my family and the city to make that move so that we can start our transitions into other things.”

Mims said he worked for the city through Oct. 5.

Promoted to the city’s top staff position in July 2009, Mims’ salary was increased from $89,400 to $110,000. He had joined the city about three years earlier as head of the planning department and later promoted to general superintendent.

At a meeting yesterday of Kant and the newly elected council, the group discussed the agenda for the council’s organizational meeting on Nov. 5, which includes a proposed ordinance to repeal the city administrator position.

“I don’t know the facts,” outgoing Council President Lonnie Mixon said today. “I do know Gregg told me he was leaving. I figured they were going to get rid of him, but not how or when.”

Mims’ resignation follows the resignations last month of former Police Chief Bill Press and Assistant Chief Terry Sanders after the Sept. 11 city election brought in a new council, which was expected to appoint a new chief and eliminate the assistant chief position.

Editor's note: For full story, see Oct. 29 edition of The Courier.