If the East Brewton City Council votes to seek a contract with the City of Brewton for law enforcement protection, what would that vote look like?
If it is close, Mayor Terry Clark would likely be called upon to cast the deciding vote.
And Clark has already said he is against the measure, which could come to a vote as early as June 10.
In municipalities with less than 12,000 in population, a two-thirds majority vote is needed for any resolution, code or contract to pass.
East Brewton — and Brewton – fall into that category, giving the mayor the authority to cast a vote that essentially breaks a tie in the event council members bring the voting to that point. Since both councils have five members, a “tie” vote of 3-3 means the issue fails.
East Brewton Councilman Ned Sibert’s position on the subject may be more clear than other council members since he created a flip chart with financial reasons the move would be a clear choice for the city.
In smaller municipalities like Brewton and East Brewton, the city’s mayor does not cast a vote in any matter unless his vote would create the required two-thirds majority.
The question now is how each of the other voting members of the council may cast their vote in the matter.
The East Brewton City Council will hold their next regular meeting at 5:30 p.m. June 10 at East Brewton City Hall on Forrest Avenue.