In the span of 48 hours, a special-call meeting of the Caledonia Board of Aldermen went from deciding what to do about the town marshal to what to do without him.
On Friday, town marshal Ben Kilgore tendered his resignation, one day after being placed on paid administrative leave by Mayor Mitch Wiggins and two days after the aldermen approved a policy change the marshal later criticized in a Facebook post.
Wiggins confirmed Kilgore’s resignation Friday, adding he had placed the marshal on administrative leave because of Kilgore’s social media post criticizing a policy approved during Wednesday’s aldermen’s meeting that required the town’s part-time officers leave their patrol cars at the marshal’s office at the end of their shift. Previously, the officers were allowed to take the patrol cars home with them.
In addition to Kilgore, the town has four part-time deputy marshals who share two patrol cars.
“The policy change was made to take care of our aging fleet of patrol cars,” Wiggins said. “We’re trying to stretch the nickel as far as we can by minimizing miles as much as we could. Mr. Kilgore didn’t like that decision, even though as our only full-time officer, he was allowed to keep his car with him. I think it became a personal issue with him and when it was put on Facebook, I just felt it wasn’t a professional way to handle it.
“After talking with aldermen, it was my decision to call a special meeting and place Mr. Kilgore on administrative leave until the board took whatever action it considered appropriate,” he added.
In his Facebook post after the board’s unanimous vote to change the policy, Kilgore seemed to suggest the change in policy would mean slower response times from the marshal’s office while pointing out that other town employees were permitted to carry their town vehicles home with them.
“If you notice all the Marshal cars parked at the Marshals office we are not having a meeting,” Kilgore’s Facebook post said. “We were order (sic) to park them at the office. If you have an emergency, we will still respond as quick as possible. WE just have to drive our personal vehicle, at the speed limit, to the office. Go in, get a key, our needed equipment, and then head your way. But we will come. Fear not.”
Alderman Quinn Parham said he was limited on what he could say because much of the discussion was held in executive session during Wednesday’s meeting.
“Ben is our only full-time officer,” Parham noted. “That’s why the policy change didn’t affect his vehicle. He’s the only person we have in the marshal’s office who is on call 24/7. As it is now, we have one deputy who lives about five blocks from the marshal’s office, so he has to drive out in the county to pick it up. For that officer, the response time is actually going to be quicker for him. So, no, I don’t believe this means we’ll have slower response times.”
Kilgore did not return calls asking for comment, but did address his decision to resign on another Facebook post on Friday.
“It is with a very heavy heart that I am sending this post,” he said in that post. “I resigned as Marshal of Caledonia today. I cannot go into details at this time because of what was said in Executive Session. Rest assured that the day after the 30-day wait period is up, the public will be informed. I cannot and will not work under the terms and conditions given to me in that meeting.”
This was Kilgore’s second tenure as the town’s marshal. He served in that role from 1987-94 and was appointed marshal for the second time in 2008.
Wiggins said the town will rely on the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office to cover any gaps created in the wake of Kilgore’s resignation.
Beyond that, Wiggins said he is uncertain of how the town will proceed in the wake of Kilgore’s resignation.
“What happens is at the board’s pleasure,” Wiggins said. “They may open the search up again or they may go back and look at other applications we had previously. Certainly, I think the deputies we have would be given consideration if they apply. We’ll know more of where we’re headed after Monday’s meeting.”
The special-call meeting will be held Monday at 6 p.m. at the town hall.
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
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