Moss Point aldermen reinstate pay cut for Mayor Mario King after he issues press release
Mayor Mario King announced Tuesday that Moss Point aldermen have voted to reinstate his full pay, and he has agreed to move forward with city work and drop pending litigation.
The move comes, he said in a press release, “after months of discussions, failed quorums, and several attempts to remedy the conflict between the Board of Alderman and myself.”
“I have dismissed without prejudice my ....Circuit Court appeal,” he said. “I am no longer aggrieved by the segmented portion of the administrative policy, which reduced my salary by 15% due to performance. The board has voted to restore my salary in full and I am appreciative of that decision.”
The board had approved the 15% pay cut in July after 11 current and former city employees and the wife of a firefighter sued King and the city, alleging age discrimination, harassment and other charges.
The move to reinstate the mayor’s pay, however, didn’t last.
At a board meeting Tuesday night, alderman voted to reinstate the mayor’s pay reduction.
One of the aldermen, Sherwood Bradford, pointed out two board members were absent during the initial vote to reinstate the mayor’s pay.
He also said the King violated a part of the administrative policy when he issued a press release announcing his pay had been reinstated.
The administrative policy that led to the pay reduction also banned the use of weapons in public buildings, placed restrictions on King’s use of city-owned vehicles, and restricted his use of vendors that provide donations to the city.
King later filed an appeal in Circuit Court challenging the new administrative policy.
When King and city leaders initially reached an agreement regarding the policy and King’s pay cut, the mayor agreed to drop the lawsuit. Judge Kathy King Jackson signed the Jan. 14 order dismissing the suit.
“In government, there are multiple ways to quantify performance,” King said in his press release. “While we have seen many gains, the stabilization of our government remains reprieved contingent on the decisions we make as leaders from both the legislative and executive side of government. It is imperative that all branches of government are unified under one mission, and that self-serving influences are absent when conducting the business of the people.”
The city and King has also faced other lawsuits.
Alderman Ennit Morris also filed litigation against King alleging he had endured harassment and threats after Morris questions the expenditures of King and his administration.
This story was originally published January 21, 2020 at 1:25 PM.
