The layoff of 68 city employees dominated talk at the City Council Work Session on Thursday at City Hall.

Councilman Sam Randolph suggested the council pay the health insurance and vacation time for the employees who were laid off on Monday. He said it would cost $19,000 a month in health insurance.

“We should show faith in our employees,” Randolph said. “The layoff is bogus. They should get vacation time.”

Councilman John Leashore said the city doesn’t have money.

“Where is this money everyone’s talking about?” Leashore said. “For the last 20 years, we haven’t been able to pay our finances.”

Councilwoman Miah Jackson said she requested financial numbers from Mayor Darrio Melton, but he hasn’t provided them.

“The Mayor’s impeding our progress on what we need to know financially and I’m livid,” Jackson said. “We can’t make any decisions without data.”

Council President Corey Bowie said the council will find out about the city’s finances at Tuesday’s council meeting at 5 p.m. at city hall.

“We’ll find out a truer picture of where we are financially and it won’t be any hocus pocus,” Bowie said.

A public hearing on the sale of the St. James Hotel will take place at the council meeting on a resolution to enter into an agreement for sale of the property and the lease of Phoenix Park as parking space.

“The citizens will have a chance to speak and let the public have any input, if they have any,” City Attorney Jimmy Nunn said.

Nunn, also the Dallas County Probate Judge-elect, recommended the council have an executive session and approve the ordinance of the property.

“Anytime you sell property in the city of Selma, it must be done in ordinance form,” Nunn said. “The lease on Phoenix Park is on first read and up for approval.”

Reinstating Lola Sewell and correcting an employee’s salary were added to a resolution that will be voted next week. Nunn said the employee’s salary should be adjusted to $17,153, not at the $15,800 they’d been working on for years. Nunn didn’t identify the employee.

Councilman Michael Johnson and councilwoman Angela Benjamin weren’t present.