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After weeks of mayoral musical chairs, the controversies surrounding who’s in charge in Mount Vernon took another twist.
The Mount Vernon City Council ousted Andre Wallace from the position of acting mayor and replaced him with Interim City Council President Lisa Copeland days after he was awarded the position when former Mayor Richard Thomas’ injunction to stay in office was rejected by a judge.
On Friday, Aug. 2, the Council then voted by a 4 to 1 margin to make Copeland the third mayor to take office in less than a month.
According to the city's charter, the Council may "punish or expel a member for disorderly conduct, for a violation of its rules, or for official misconduct,” and the Council stated that Wallace was unfit while voting him out of office after he appointed a new police commissioner without soliciting their input.
Wallace has since maintained that he’s in charge, though the City Council insists that Copeland is the acting mayor of Mount Vernon.
In a statement, Wallace said, "Following the legal precedent established by the Thomas ruling, Copeland and the city council have no legal footing to stand on. I will not be distracted to ensure the safety and well-being of the people of Mount Vernon."
The carousel began on Monday, July 8, when Thomas pleaded guilty to misappropriating nearly $13,000 in campaign funds and then went on to lie about them on government papers. He was originally scheduled to resign as of Sept. 30.
Two days after Thomas’ plea, citing a clause in the City Council, the City Council removed him from office and appointed then-Council President Wallace to take over the position, with Copeland, then a member of the Council, taking over as interim President of the Council.
Copeland was in office on Monday, Aug. 5, as the acting mayor, but it is unclear whether Wallace will take the matter to court.
This continues to be a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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