DAVENPORT – Barbara Pierson’s stint as mayor was short-lived.
With little explanation, Pierson submitted a letter of resignation dated Monday to fellow members of the City Commission and City Manager Kelly Callihan. Pierson was elected to the commission last year and appointed as mayor last month after Darlene Bradley resigned as part of a plea deal. She had been arrested for using handicapped placards belonging to the deceased.
“It is with a broken heart that I hereby tender my resignation as Mayor of the city of Davenport effective immediately,” Pierson wrote in her resignation letter. “It has been a privilege working with each of you, city staff and the community at large.”
Earlier this week, local law enforcement agencies had checked into an allegation that Pierson had an outstanding warrant in Michigan.
Police Chief Larry Holden said he got word and documentation Saturday morning that Pierson had a Michigan warrant for her arrest, but none in Florida. Since it was an out-of-state pick-up only, Holden said the Davenport Police Department had no obligations or ability to pursue it. Pierson had no active warrants for the state of Florida.
“Our investigation was dead when we found out it was a Michigan warrant,” Holden said. “There are thousands of warrants like these throughout the U.S. I immediately ran her for Florida and she had no active warrants.”
Holden said the Polk County Sheriff’s Office also conducted its own investigation. Chris Gautz, a spokesman for the Michigan Department of Corrections, told The Ledger on Monday that the warrant was active. Gautz called Tuesday to say the warrant was no longer active and charges are no longer pending.
Pierson was listed by the state as an absconder of probation. According to Michigan Department of Corrections records, Pierson was charged with larceny by conversion of more than $1,000 and less than $20,000 for an incident that occurred April 2002. She pleaded guilty in February 2003. A bench warrant for absconding was issued in November of that year.
Gautz said the charges were related to a misuse of a state credit card while Pierson was a state employee. It was a felony offense, Gautz said.
Although Pierson has not been able to be reached, Callihan said he spoke with her Monday. According to her account, Callihan said, Pierson was among multiple state employees who resigned over the issue and accepted two years of probation. Pierson told Callihan that she had served the time, probation was set to be terminated and the charge was to be reduced to a misdemeanor. Before her attorney could hand in the necessary finalizing paperwork, he died.
“She felt like she didn’t want to be a distraction to the city,” Callihan said of her decision to resign. “She thought it was all cleared up.”
Callihan said the Michigan Department of Corrections’ account of events was consistent with what Pierson explained to him prior to resigning.
“Exactly what she told me is what they told me,” Callihan said. “It was something that should have been cleared up years ago. It’s an unfortunate situation.”
Pierson ousted incumbent Crystal Williams in April 2017 to win Seat 4. In just her second meeting as a member of the commission, Pierson made the motion to fire then City Attorney Kirk Warren.
That passed 3-2. Pierson was also part of a 3-2 vote that terminated City Manager Amy Arrington that same night. That firing was first motioned by Bradley. Bradley and H.B. “Rob” Robinson joined Pierson to pass both votes.
By a 4-0 vote, Robinson was appointed as mayor on Monday night, becoming the third person to hold that post in about two months; his seat was filled by appointee Abel Gonzales.
Gonzales unsuccessfully ran against Bradley for mayor last year. Multiple members of the audience vocally supported Gonzales' appointment, including former Commissioner Deborah Burress.
“I just want to thank the commission and those who came out to support me,” Gonzales said at Monday’s meeting. “I’d be honored to take the seat.”
Commissioners discussed the possibility of looking at the city’s charter when it came to elected officials and implementing background checks during qualifying. Brynn Summerlin had previously filled Pierson’s seat when she was appointed mayor.
This post will be updated.