The Petal Board of Aldermen is still in the process of requesting an opinion from Attorney General Lynn Fitch on whether the board can reduce Mayor Hal Marx’s salary in light of him refusing the board’s request for his resignation.
On Monday, Ward 3 Alderman Clint Moore said City Attorney Rocky Eaton has yet to draft a letter to the AG’s office. In the meantime, board members will wait on that process to play out before taking any further action on the matter.
The board held a special-called meeting on May 28, where members voted 6-0 to ask Marx to resign after he posted social media comments regarding the recent fatal encounter between George Floyd and Minneapolis police.
“Petal has become a hometown destination to many, due to our excellent school district, safe way of life and community support for one another,” Moore said at the meeting. “Recently, Mayor Hal Marx has taken to social media and repeatedly made comments that have isolated, enraged and belittled individuals in a way that is unbecoming of our city.
“Over the past few days, the vast number of our constituents who have reached out to us showing their disapproval and disdain have made it obvious that we can no longer accept this reality. Based on Hal Marx's continued distasteful remarks, the board of aldermen feels that he is out of touch with the citizens and unfit to continue in his capacity as mayor.”
Despite the vote, Marx refused to step down from his post, saying he intends to finish serving out the remainder of his term through the summer of next year. Because of Mississippi state law, the board has no authority to remove a mayor, nor can the citizens take part in a recall election.
“We as a board do promise, however, to take every action available to us to ensure that Hal Marx's future as a leader in the City of Petal is limited,” Moore said.
After the board asked Marx to step down, members then presented an item to reduce the salary of the mayor, but agreed to get the AG’s opinion on the matter first.
“At this point in time, I have 12 months left on my term,” Marx said at the meeting. “You’re going to risk spending countless thousands of dollars in court, and then possibly pay my legal fees, to try to make a point that I believe you’ve probably already made sufficiently for your purposes here.”
In addition to other comments on social media, Marx posted the following statement on Facebook on May 26: “If you can talk you can breathe. Think about that before you rush to judgment.”
The incident in Minneapolis occurred May 25, when police were called to a report of a man attempting to allegedly use counterfeit money at a grocery store. When officers arrived on the scene, they said they found Floyd, who police said appeared to be intoxicated, in a car.
Police asked Floyd to get out of the car, at which point police said Floyd physically resisted officers before they were able to get him into handcuffs. An officer, identified as Derek Chauvin, placed his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes.
In a video of the incident, Floyd is heard saying, “I can’t breathe.” He later died at a nearby medical facility.
Several officers, including Chauvin, have been charged in the incident. Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
The backlash – both local and national – following Marx’s comments was rapid, with the special-called meeting held the day before a three-day protest began outside of Petal City Hall.
That Friday, Saturday and Sunday, several hundred protesters gathered to demand Marx’s resignation and to speak about injustice in other parts of the country.
