London has a new city council member who’ll help decide the fate of Mayor Randall Weddle, who faces a removal hearing on Friday. During another contentious council meeting on Tuesday, members appointed Donna Wilson-House to fill the term of Stacy Benge, who stepped down last week.
Benge was the only councilmember to vote against holding the removal hearing. Before the meeting was adjourned, Weddle blasted his critics on the council.
“You have blatantly stacked the council for the removal of the mayor. So I want this on the record tonight, that you're appointing people that for years have been on Facebook blasting me nothing to do with your charges,” he said.
After Tuesday’s meeting was adjourned, the council left, but Weddle remained. An unidentified Weddle supporter introduced two petitions.
“We the undersigned citizens of the city of London, Laurel County, we respectfully call upon the London City Council and the court to halt the politically motivated attempt to remove Mayor Randall Weddle from Office,” she said.
The second petition was for people who don’t live in London and can’t vote in city races.
A man who didn’t identify himself also spoke. He said while Weddle’s supporters invoked the Constitution, the investigation into last December’s fatal shooting of Doug Harless by London police who showed up at the wrong address was still ongoing.
The Harless investigation is in the hands of the Kentucky State Police.
Weddle vowed to run again next year – even if he’s removed from office early. It will take a unanimous vote for the council to do so.
You can click below for a full list of charges the council is bringing against Mayor Randle Weddle.
