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Clarksburg council votes to retain outside counsel and move to executive session over allegations about city manager
Summary
At a special meeting, the Clarksburg City Council voted to adjourn into executive session and to retain outside legal counsel to assist with an internal investigation into allegations involving the city manager; the transcript’s recorded counsel name and hourly rate are unclear.
The Clarksburg City Council voted at a special meeting to move into executive session and to retain outside legal counsel to assist with an internal investigation into allegations concerning the city manager.
A council member identified in the record as Speaker 3 moved "Pursuant to chapter 6, article 9 a, section 4 of the West Virginia code, I move that council adjourn to executive session to discuss personnel matters," and the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. After returning to open session, the same speaker moved to retain external counsel to assist with the investigation into "allegations against the city manager." The motion was seconded and again approved by voice vote.
The transcript names a counsel string transcribed as "Spillum Thomas in battle at $3.95 an hour," but the recording is unclear; the council approved retention of outside counsel and authorization to proceed with the internal investigation. At least one council member asked whether the item had been discussed before the vote; Speaker 3 responded that the matter could not be discussed publicly, indicating confidentiality limits on discussing personnel matters.
The council concluded the special meeting by moving to adjourn; a roll-call sequence recorded individual yes/no responses for several members, including a recorded 'No' from Council member Dean and 'Yes' votes from Council members Heinemann, Jackson, Vice Mayor Bridal and the mayor. The transcript does not record a public statement of the specific allegations, investigative scope, the exact name or firm of retained counsel in a clearly legible form, or the confirmed hourly rate and contract terms.
Next steps were not specified in the public record: the council did not state a public timeline for the investigation or name an investigator in the transcript. The statutory basis the mover cited, "chapter 6, article 9 a, section 4 of the West Virginia code," was invoked to justify closing the meeting to the public for personnel discussion.
