(Oakland, TN) Oakland Mayor Scott Ferguson is in the hot seat.
“When you run for office your life is put on open display and a lot of things are said they have no merit,” said Ferguson.
People are saying a lot.
Some residents are calling the former preacher’s trustworthiness into question saying the father of four had two affairs.
“I’ve heard things from abuse to lying in former jobs, immorality in life. Things people will say to poison the well,” said Ferguson.
Ferguson says he is still married and has never had an affair.
Vice Mayor Chris Goodman says since the mayor took office city funds have dropped.
Thursday, Goodman and the board of aldermen voted to investigate how money’s being spent in the city.
“For the citizens and their financial safety and to show what the mayor was doing there was a financial audit requested last night and that was called into the state this morning. And they’ll come out and take a look and we’ll know,” said Goodman.
For more than four years Ferguson has used a city credit card.
The city doesn’t have a credit card policy.
The mayor or anyone else has to turn in receipts or get approval of spending.
The board of aldermen has put the city credit card and all other financial records in a safe.
Because of the financial shortcomings, Oakland slashed the city budget and even fired the entire human resources division last night.
Franklin Cates believes his mayor’s spending is the culprit of those problems, “He just overrode his authority I think by taking advantage of all the citizens out here.”
News Channel 3 has requested the mayor’s spending records and will get them early next week.