PINE BLUFF -- Pine Bluff Mayor Debe Hollingsworth's plan to veto a residency restriction law was thwarted Tuesday because she failed to properly notify aldermen of her reasons for the veto, the mayor said.
Hollingsworth had indicated that she would veto an ordinance passed on Sept. 19 that would require all city department heads to live in Pine Bluff. She said then that the ordinance would limit hiring because qualified people for positions may live outside the Jefferson County city.
Hollingsworth said Tuesday that within the five days set by city ordinance, she filed the proper forms indicating that she would veto the council's action, which passed 5-3.
However, she failed to notify the aldermen of her reasons before she released a statement to the media. City law requires the mayor to let council members know why she is vetoing something before making public statements.
"It was an oversight," Hollingsworth said. "It was not intentional.
"You have to know the fast pace we have here. I simply forgot to give my statement of reasons to our aldermen first."
Hollingsworth now cannot veto the ordinance, and the council's residency restriction ordinance is now law, she said.
Hollingsworth was defeated in her re-election bid in March's Democratic primary election. Challenger Shirley Washington received 4,145 votes to Hollingsworth's 3,424 votes. Hollingsworth's term ends Dec. 31.
State Desk on 10/12/2016