Small Georgia town rehires local police after mayor fired entire department

The Cohutta town council holds emergency meeting, with mayor voluntarily leaving and vice-mayor assuming role The town council in a small mountain community in the US state of Georgia held an emergency meeting on Friday evening to vote to reinstate the police department after the mayor fired the chief and all the officers. The notice for the meeting, posted outside the Cohutta town hall, had said the council would also consider a request for the mayor’s “immediate resignation”. However, the rest of the meeting agenda, including any action against the mayor, was tabled, the Chattanooga Times Free Press reported. A second emergency ordinance approved by the town council prohibits the mayor from disbanding the police department for the next 30 days. “Glad the City Council did the right thing tonight,” said Ken David, a lawyer representing a number of police officers, to the Chattanooga Times. Bryan Rayburn, the city attorney, said in an opening statement that mayor Ron Shinnick’s actions did not follow the policies and procedures of the town charter. After Rayburn’s remarks, Shinnick voluntarily left the meeting and vice-mayor Shane Kornberg assumed the role of mayor for the remainder

May 8, 2026 → May 9, 2026