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Council member says Prichard council may subpoena witnesses; members seek clarity on veto scope
Summary
A council member cited local code saying the council can investigate municipal affairs and issue subpoenas; members asked the chair to read vetoes and concluded that items the mayor cannot veto would move forward.
A council member told the Prichard City Council that, under local code, the council has authority to investigate municipal affairs and to issue subpoenas, administer oaths and compel production of records, and said noncompliance can be punished as a misdemeanor carrying up to 30 days in jail or a $200 bond.
The remarks came during a procedural exchange in which another member asked the presiding officer to read aloud a list of vetoes so the public would hear them rather than only seeing numbers on the agenda. The committee member who explained council powers cited code section "11-43-c-87" and said the council may subpoena witnesses and require production of books and papers as part of investigations into departments or officers.
After the legal explanation, several members said that if the mayor's veto power does not apply to those temporary resolutions, the items would proceed before the council. No roll-call vote or formal motion was recorded during the exchange.
The discussion clarified the council's investigatory authority and closed with members agreeing the items would move forward when the procedural question about veto applicability was resolved.
