Overview
- The Town Council, which met Friday evening, voted to restore the entire police force with back pay after finding the dismissals violated the charter’s 30‑day notice requirement.
- Whitfield County deputies had covered calls after Mayor Ron Shinnick posted a Wednesday notice dissolving the department, a stopgap that prompted worries about slower response times.
- Officers had filed complaints saying the mayor’s wife, former clerk Pam Shinnick, retained access to payroll and personnel systems after her removal from the job.
- Shinnick denied retaliation and said he acted over officers’ “inappropriate” Facebook posts about his wife, likening the shake‑up to changing a coach.
- The council tabled a bid for the mayor’s resignation, and the city attorney is coordinating the handoff from the sheriff back to local officers.