The City of Porterdale met in executive session Tuesday, but without Mayor Pro Tem Robert Foxworth.

Foxworth objected to the closed session, which was held to discuss what to do with applications for the open positions of judge and solicitor. He believed no one in the room was qualified to discuss the applications and walked out before it was held.

The executive session yielded two motions that were approved.

The first was to establish a committee to review the applications. The committee will include Mayor Bobby Hamby, City Attorney Tim Chambers, Councilwoman Arline Chapman, City Manager Bob Thomson and Police Chief Geoff Jacobs.

The second motion was to authorize Thomson to move the deadline for submitting requests for qualifications for the two positions from July 31 to July 15.

Earlier in the work session, Foxworth became displeased during the discussions for the 2011 budget decision when some council members found the utility bills for the volunteer fire department to be in excess.

Chapman said she has seen Facebook updates where firefighters are using the kitchen - which attributes to the higher utility bills - and that the air conditioning runs at all times, even with doors open and no persons in the building, leading her to believe they are paying to "air condition the driveway."

Councilwoman Linda Finger agreed with Chapman.
Foxworth said no other council members have gone up to the department to see what they accomplish there and they [council members] do not understand what they are talking about.

Finger told Foxworth she was "tired of his smart mouth" to which he replied he did not care what she was tired of.
Hamby called them to order and the meeting continued.