JONESBORO — A lawsuit that Jonesboro Mayor Donya Sartor filed against the City Council in September is close to being settled, according to Jonesboro City Attorney Winston Denmark.
The lawsuit was filed Sept. 11 — the same day the City Council unanimously approved to appoint attorney Tracy Lawson to conduct an independent administrative investigation into allegations raised against Sartor.
The investigative report was submitted to the Jonesboro City Council on Oct. 11 and a special called meeting was scheduled on Oct. 16 to release the report.
The meeting was later cancelled after Mack signed a temporary restraining order on Oct. 16 preventing the City Council, then-Interim City Manager David Allen, former Police Chief Tommy Henderson, and City Attorney Danielle Matricardi from releasing the report.
The City Council (Tracey Messick, Don Dixon, Alfred Dixon, Ed Wise, Billy Powell, and Bobby Lester), Allen, Henderson, and Matricardi were also named as defendants in a Nov. 6 hearing to determine the legality of the investigation.
In an update given at the Monday, Jan. 8 City Council meeting, Denmark said attorneys on both sides “are actively trying to settle the matter.”
Sartor is being represented by Jocelyn Jackson while the City Council is being represented by Alex Joseph.
As city attorney, Denmark has been trying to broker a resolution and a consent order has been prepared with attorneys reviewing it.
“I think we’re arrived at a place where it can be resolved,” Denmark said.
He told the mayor and council to “stay the course” in resolving the case and urged them to allow attorneys to finalize it and resolve it.
“We have a very good consent order,” Denmark said, and added “I expect (Superior Court) Judge (Robert) Mack to be happy to sign it. It fairly resolves the matter and I think it will allow the city to move…
Read the full article here
