Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The Selma City Council held an emergency meeting on Tuesday night.

Selma City Council President Billy Young, council members Jannie Thomas, Lesia James, Clay Carmichael, Christie Thomas, Atkin Jemison, Michael Johnson and Troy Harvill were present.

Highlights from the meeting were the city council approving storm salary employee hours and an emergency resolution providing an emergency response to the tornado that hit Selma on January 12.

The employees worked 1,192 hours, which went over $28,000, Carmichael pointed out.

“I watched them work, they helped me throughout the night,” James said. “I bugged them a lot.”

Resolution 135-22-23 was approved, but Johnson and Jemison disagreed with the portion that limited Perkins to a $5,000 cap to purchase items for the tornado damage.

Perkins called it ridiculous. Johnson said the Mayor was being treated like a child over the spending limit. Johnson motioned to lift the cap, Jemison seconded. The motion failed as Christie Thomas, Young, Carmichael, Jannie Thomas and Harvill voted no.

Young defended the city council’s decision on the spending limit.

“We’re all in this together,” Young said. “We’ve got to live through this crisis together.  The city council will be responsible.”