Arrested three times since late 2008, Monty Millard became Red Bank’s mayor Tuesday, but not without some weirdness.
Newly sworn-in Commissioner John Roberts nominated Millard, citing “much discussion and much prayer.” Commissioner Ruth Jeno — who recently said community leaders “lost respect” for Millard following his legal troubles — immediately nominated Commissioner Greg Jones.
Then the commissioners voted, taking turns in alphabetical order.
Jeno voted for Jones, who voted for himself. Millard also voted for himself, and Commissioner Floy Pierce joined him.
But Roberts hesitated. For several seconds, he said nothing when it came time to cast the deciding vote.
“Monty Millard,” he finally said, barely above a whisper.
Roberts said Monday that “many community leaders” lobbied him to support Millard as mayor, but he declined to say their names on the record.
All three charges against Millard — criminal trespassing, burglary of an auto and violating a restraining order against his wife — have been dismissed. He recently sued the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department for $1.5 million over the agency’s handling of the third arrest.
Millard’s first act as mayor was to nominate Pierce for vice mayor, but no one followed his lead. The other four commissioners, including Pierce, selected Jones as vice mayor.
Millard then read from a prepared speech, directing City Manager Chris Dorsey to “immediately” discontinue the city’s speed vans and three sets of traffic cameras.
“It will show that we want people to come to and through Red Bank,” Millard said.
But after the meeting, he said he doesn’t know how much the city will have to pay American Traffic Solutions to abandon a 12-year contract extension the city negotiated with the photo enforcement company last February.
The first time Red Bank can opt out of the contract without a financial penalty is 2013, records show.
Before Millard took center stage, his predecessor, Joe Glasscock, promised to limit his final speech to three or four minutes, but he continued for a fiery 15. An anti-traffic camera campaign helped Roberts defeat Glasscock by 10 votes on Election Day, with 25 people darkening the “write-in” bubble.
Glasscock thanked a packed room for supporting him and lamented government waste before sending a message to the 25 write-in voters.
“What the hell were you thinking?” he said. “You lost one of your last rights in this country. It’s ridiculous.”