SILEX, Mo. — Some Silex city employees came to work Wednesday morning to find the lock had been changed on City Hall. They're on administrative leave until further notice.
"[It was a] very, very big surprise," Lynn Luckett said. "I wasn’t informed by anyone official."
Luckett found out from a friend that her position — clerk to the police department — is on hold.
Luckett ran for mayor but lost to Charles Turbyeville in the April 2 election. She doesn't believe this is retribution for her campaign, adding that she is confused by how quickly everything developed.
"I woke up, got dressed, thinking I still had a job," Luckett said.
A photo from The Elsberry Democrat shows Mayor Charles Turbyeville and Lincoln County sheriff’s deputies outside City Hall Wednesday morning. The Sheriff's department will take over police duties in Silex and
When 5 On Your Side got to City Hall, there was a handwritten note on the door reading "City Hall Temporary Closed" with a phone number to the mayor.
“It’s my duty as mayor to protect the citizens and the assets of Silex and that’s what I intend to do," Turbyeville said.
Turbyeville listed off the positions that are on leave. The city manager and police chief are two affected positions but filled by one person. Turbyeville is unsure how many police officers are in the department, but the whole department is on hold. Plus, the city attorney.
The staffing changes came as a shock to residents like David Rice Junior who keeps a close eye on City Hall because the building bears his father's name who previously served as mayor.
"The people that I’ve spoken to today in town today, they’re flabbergasted," David Rice Jr. said. "They didn’t know you could do any of these things. I told them, you can’t."
Turbyeville said these positions are on hold —- not terminated — which he is allowed to do under state statute.
He is still working out some of the details like whether this is paid leave or not. Turbyeville is meeting with his nominee for City Attorney Thursday, at which time he hopes to plan the next meeting with the Board of Aldermen.