On Tuesday, Attorney Julian McPhillips submitted a letter requesting a hearing for the reinstatement on behalf of Ronita Wade as Treasurer for Selma City.

“This is to request a hearing be scheduled immediately for the reinstatement of Ms. Ronita Wade,” the Tuesday letter stated. “As grounds, I incorporate my attached letter of September 28, 2018. I would also like to include on the agenda a discussion on other Selma City employees, such as Ms. Carneetie Ellison, Tory Neeley, Jeff Hardy and Kendall Thomas, at the requested hearing.”

“It was with great chargin and disappointment that my client, Ronita Wade, once again received notice that she has been placed on administrative leave, pending a criminal investigation,” McPhillips wrote in a letter to Selma Mayor Darrio Melton dated on Sept. 28. “You and I, and hopefully your attorney, Mr. (Rick) Howard, should know that such an investigation is bogus and inspired by malice and political rivalry towards Ms. Wade. That also applies to her being placed on administrative leave.

“You, Mayor, have sought to undermine Ms. Wade from the very moment she was last restored to her job by the Selma City Council,” the letter continues. “Your contempt towards Ms. Wade even extended to your staffer, Sabrina Simmons, coming into her office and, spitefully in front of Ms. Wade’s face, tearing up a memo that Ms. Wade had addressed to the Mayor disallowing reimbursement for certain non-official but personal expenses. Ms. Wade was simply looking out for the financial integrity of the City of Selma in doing so. At the time Ms. Simmons tore up the letter, she said to Ms. Wade, ‘this is what I think of you.’ Ms. Wade also describes a number of times when you, Mayor, have demanded authorization or approval of expenditures that required city council approval first, but she wouldn’t violate that rule. This, therefore, is to request that Ms. Wade be immediately reinstated. If not, then you are inviting a suit sooner rather than later, and further expense for the City of Selma.”

This letter was sent not only to Melton, but to the entire city council.

As of press time, no special called meetings had been announced concerning the reinstatement of Wade or any of the other employees mentioned in McPhillips’ letter.

Wade was placed on administrative leave on Wednesday, Sept. 26, according to Council President Corey Bowie.

Last September, Melton also placed Wade on administrative leave. Melton said Wade was insubordinate and tried to undermine him during a Sept. 19, 2017 budget hearing. She was fired on Sept. 27, 2017. She was reinstated 10 days later after the council voted to bring her back on board. Two days later, she returned to work and was placed on administrative leave.

Earlier this month, Wade’s case went from possible ethics violation to alleged criminal misconduct. When Wade was suspended at the end of last year, Collier said the interim finance director contacted him after discovering what he felt to believe something improper on a city owned computer that had previously been assigned to her. Collier said he discovered more invoices.

Wade said the claims have been ongoing for a year.

Wade remained on leave until Dec. 22, 2017 when Melton sent a certified letter of termination to McPhillips. Wade was terminated for her accounting and management practices, which allegedly led to a series of missteps, miscalculations and inappropriate activities. She was eventually reinstated by the City Council on Feb. 6.