TAYLOR: 6:00 PM The Taylor City Council, less Councilman Kenny Taylor who was reported to be out of town, met in a regular scheduled meeting. Lasted 18 minutes.
The regular agenda where the council votes on items was short. Approve minutes for January 20, 2026 meeting, grading-concrete for playground, IT quotes, and purchase chlorinator pumps ( 2 ) for the wells. The IT quotes were tabled for clarification of the amounts and what it includes. One bid was a fixed rate for each month and one was a per hour. The question was software upgrades and associated costs.
The Taylor City Council then adjourned the meeting to the Administrative Meeting. This meeting is not one where items can be voted on. The purpose is for discussion of items and if the majority approves, the item is moved to the next regular council meeting to vote up or down.
There were four items on the Administrative agenda; (1) sidewalk/playground – quotes (2) Michael Spence – Water Supervisor to attend training (3) Transmission replacement on Code Enforcement vehicle (4) Police Chief decision. All items were moved to the February 17 Regular Council Meeting where they can be voted on.
Taylor Mayor Robert Lamb expressed wanting the Police Chief to be hired tonight. Mayor Lamb possibly admitted to a Alabama Open Meetings Violation. It was stated what Council Members were present to interview the Police Chief candidates. If all were present who were mentioned it means there was a quorum present for the interviews. Mayor Lamb asked Councilman John Milner if he and Councilman Kenny Taylor had discussed the interviews and Councilman Milner said no. That all he knew were the names because they had been mentioned and one was a current Taylor Police Officer.
The council reminded Mayor Robert Lamb the council could not vote in an Administrative Meeting. Mayor Lamb stated that the Acting Police Chief was at the end of the time he could legally serve as Acting Police Chief and they needed to hire the police chief. Again, the Mayor was reminded that had to be done in a regular City Council Meeting, which was already adjourned and legally the City Council could not vote on the issue until next regular meeting.
The two candidates were present. One is Cody ( last name unknown ) who is a current Taylor Police Officer and Aaron Cook who is a SRO with Henry County Sheriff Department.
Mayor Robert Lamb was sworn in as Mayor of Taylor on November 3, 2025 at 8:00 AM. At 8:45 AM, in a common plan, scheme and design, Mayor Robert Lamb called then Taylor Police Chief James Brazier into Taylor Magistrate Ann Baxter’s office, with Ann Baxter present, with Gary Maxwell, prosecutor for City of Taylor ( not the city attorney but the prosecutor ) and terminated Chief Brazier. It was a well known plan, scheme and design of Incumbent Mayor Robert Lamb that he planned to terminate James Brazier as Police Chief once he took office. It was within 45 minutes of Lamb being sworn in as Mayor for the common plan, scheme and design to take place.
At a recent Taylor City Council meeting there was discussion over a drug policy and that Taylor needed one. Tonight Councilman John Milner called himself out, the Mayor out and fellow council members about not knowing and having read the City of Taylor employee handbook. Councilman Milner stated there was a drug policy in the handbook and he himself should have read it before. That made Taylor Mayor Robert Lamb mad and he pouted that they could not expect him to know everything. That he had only been Mayor since November. Mayor Lamb was totally confused because he kept attempting to talk about the provider who administered the drug tests. Which was not what councilman Milner was saying. Milner’s reference was to the drug policy. The meeting it was discussed was one Councilman Kenny Thompson was in charge of because Mayor Lamb was reported to have been sick. So Mayor Lamb pouted for NO REASON!!!
However, Mayor Lamb … you were the Ordinance Compliance Officer for City of Taylor before you resigned to seek Mayor for the City of Taylor. You drove a vehicle, marked, as Code Enforcement Officer for the City of Taylor. The last page of the handbook, which was in force when you were Code Enforcement Officer, is the same today. The last page reads:
EMPLOYEE ACCEPTANCE FORM, DATE, EMPLOYEE NAME, DEPARTMENT, BY SIGNING BELOW, I ACKNOWLEDGE I HAVE RECEIVED I HAVE READ THE POLICIES CONTAINED HEREIN.SIGNED ______ cc. Employee File.
First, you were not present when the issue was discussed. Second, RSN knew the City of Taylor had a drug policy, so you should have known. Third, you should have known because the handbook reflects you would have had to sign for it and that you had read the policies. DAH!!!!!!!!!
Councilman Milner asked that the agenda and documents be sent to the council members prior to a meeting and posted on web site. That mad Mayor Robert Lamb mad and he continued to pout. He seemed offended. Councilman Milner told Mayor Lamb this was no reason to get mad, that the Council should know before the meeting and have time to review before they walked in a meeting and the citizens should have easy access to the agenda and items to be discussed in the event someone wanted to come to the meeting. Mayor Lamb continued to be mad.
Then the citizens started with questions about Animal Control. Mayor Lamb said the cost was to much to place the animals at the animal shelter and they did not pick animals up. Mayor Lamb said the voting members of the council were present and to ask them. And the meeting kinda faded with citizens talking and Mayor adjourned the meeting. Mayor Lamb and choir went to the back of the room to discuss and be critical of Councilman Milner when Milner needed to be applauded for being open and honest. And he called himself out for having not ever read the manual.
Councilman Milner, job well done. Mayor Lamb, I almost said this during the meeting but I am not there to argue with you. But you were very immature in the meeting. Just be open and honest.
As a former employee, you should have known about the employee handbook. And before you terminated Police Chief James Brazier you should have been aware of the procedures. Because the legal and proper procedures were not followed.
And to the sitting members of the City of Taylor Council, PLEASE, before you hire a Police Chief, read Code of Alabama 11-43-81 through 11-43-160, and due process requirements in Code of Alabama 11-43-230. If you do not, and do not discuss in depth with legal council, and costs the voting citizens of Taylor a lot of money because of your ignorance, remember;
IGNORANCE OF THE LAW IS NO EXCUSE
