The complaint former Midway City Manager Auburn Ford lodged with the Gadsden County Civil Court against the City of Midway on June 12 for Ford’s contention that the city held an “illegal emergency meeting” on June 8 has gone to the next step.
On Thursday, June 21, the court issued a summons to Sten Sliger, Ford’s Quincy-based lawyer, to serve to the City of Midway regarding the meeting. Samuel Stevens, Midway’s mayor pro-tem, said the summons indeed was served on Friday, June 22.
The city of Midway now has 20 days after the serving of the summons to file a defense with the county’s Clerk of Courts. If the city fails to do so, a default will be entered against the city for the relief demanded in the complaint.
Ford’s complaint asks the court to make null and void the actions Stevens and Midway Mayor Wanda Range took at the emergency meeting on June 8 without having formed the necessary quorum of three Midway City Council members.
These actions included granting check-signing privileges to all council members and the naming of Quintealia Cato to fill the vacancy on the council left by the death of former Council Member Charlie Smith while in office in February.
Midway’s next regularly scheduled council meeting is for Thursday, July 5 at 6 p.m. at Midway City Hall (50 Martin Luther King Blvd.).
By Randall Lieberman
randall@prioritynews.net