Folly Beach?s mayor pro tem, known for his candor and blunt assessments of issues on the Edge of America, has filed an injunction to stop his colleagues from ousting him as the stand-in mayor.
Eddie Ellis filed the injunction and a civil suit in state court in Charleston County on Friday against the city of Folly Beach and all his fellow council members: Pennell Clamp, Sandra Hickman, Paul Hume, Tom Scruggs and Dale Stuckey.
The council intends to vote on a resolution during its meeting on Tuesday at 7 p.m. that would censure Ellis for misconduct and remove him from the office of mayor pro tempore. He was elected to the two-year position on April 10, 2012.
In his complaint, Ellis accused council of conspiring against him during secret meetings in order to draft the resolution, violating Freedom of Information Act laws. He also alleges that council is not following its own rules.
?They?re not anywhere close to following the rules,? said Thomas Goldstein, Ellis? attorney.
Ellis is seeking punitive damages, a trial by jury, attorney fees, an order by the court keeping council from conducting town business outside of public sessions and from removing Ellis from elective office, according to the complaint.
Ellis has been a dissenting voice on council on a number of controversial disputes, which is why he believes he has become the council?s target, according to his complaint.
Ellis has been accused of being rude to people on the street and making telephone calls at late hours, according to the complaint. Ellis contends that the city is retaliating against him for his ?outspoken opinions on controversial political matters and because the mayor and others view him as a possible candidate for mayor,? according to the complaint.
That includes the reluctant departure of the city?s former administrator, Toni Connor-Rooks, who said the problem was her unhappy three years under Mayor Tim Goodwin. Goodwin said he did have a difference of opinion with Connor-Rooks about whether she could work from home.
Ellis verbally sparred with Goodwin during the council meeting in which members approved her severance package.
Before the vote to accept the terms of the severance package for Connor-Rooks during a May meeting, Ellis said he was so angry over Connor-Rooks? treatment that he would terminate his contract with the city under which he provides landscaping services.
?I ain?t working for you. I wouldn?t even poop in your yard if I was a dog. And I?m running for mayor next spring and I?m going to beat you,? Ellis told Goodwin during the meeting.
Goodwin replied, ?Well good, now that you?re finished politicking Eddie, thank you very much.?
Sandra Senn, the attorney representing the city and council members, said she needed time to analyze the claim before commenting. Ellis could not be reached for comment.
Reach Natalie Caula at 937-5594 or Twitter.com/ncaula.
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