Overview
- The Cohutta Town Council accepted Ron Shinnick’s immediate resignation and set a special meeting to choose an interim mayor.
- Shinnick stepped down after he dismissed all town police and declared the department dissolved, which led county deputies to cover calls.
- City attorney Bryan Rayburn said the firings violated the charter’s 30-day notice rule, after which the council reinstated the officers.
- Some officers suggested the dismissals may have been linked to complaints involving the mayor’s wife, a former town clerk.
- Residents packed a council meeting to demand accountability and some urged Shinnick to resign, reflecting pressure to rebuild trust and keep local policing steady.