After months of long, contentious meetings, the City held a short, collegial Council meeting in March. A round of applause from the audience welcomed the city’s longtime attorney, Jay Gullo, to the meeting after a several-month hiatus.
"It is good to be back in my seat here, looking at you all. Thanks for the warm homecoming," Gullo said. "I hope the unpleasantness that we have had for the past few months can go away and I can be part of the team to help the town move forward."
Mayor Christopher Miller singlehandedly fired Gullo in November. The city council unanimously opposed Miller’s decision. The council hired Attorney Kevin Best of Annapolis, Maryland to review the case. Best determined Miller was out-of-line so the council proceeded as if the firing never occurred.
Councilman Christopher Tillman asked Gullo if a proposed charter amendment could be at the top of Gullo’s work list. The City’s charter is currently vague when it comes to who the Attorney works for and the Council wants it clear that he works for the Council, not the Mayor. City Manager James Wieprecht said the charter amendment was "not at the top" of Gullo’s list, but near it. At Tillman’s request, Gullo said he will soon update the Council on pending litigation.
Gullo also invited Council members to contact him to discuss issues. In November, Miller attempted to tell Gullo that only he or the City Manager could contact him outside of meetings. Miller claimed he was trying to save the city money on legal fees.
