Removal or Impeachment of Municipal Officers.

Ala. Code tit. 11, tit. 2, ch. 43, art. 8

in effect

Ala. Code § 11-43-160 Removal.

11-43-160. Removal. (a)(1) Any person appointed to office in any city or town may, for cause, after a hearing, be removed by the officer making the appointment. (2) The council of the municipality may remove, by a two-thirds vote of all those elected to the council, any person in the several departments for incompetency, malfeasance, misfeasance, or nonfeasance in office and for conduct detrimental to good order or discipline, including habitual neglect of duty. (b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), in municipalities having a population of less than 12,000 inhabitants, according to the last or any subsequent federal census, the mayor may vote on the removal of any person appointed to office in the municipality pursuant to subsection (a) and the mayor shall be considered as a member of the council in determining whether there is a two-thirds vote of the council for the removal of the officer. (Code 1907, §1172; Code 1923, §1888; Code 1940, T. 37, §451; Act 2009-402, p. 729, §1.)

Ala. Code § 11-43-161 Grounds for Impeachment - Acceptance of Employment from Public Service Corporation; Financial Dealings with Municipality, Etc.

11-43-161. Grounds for Impeachment - Acceptance of Employment from Public Service Corporation; Financial Dealings with Municipality, Etc. No mayor or alderman of any municipality shall accept employment after his election and during his term of office from any public service company or corporation operating under any franchise granted by the municipality, and any person’s accepting such employment after his election shall constitute grounds of impeachment therefor. Any mayor or alderman or other member of the governing body of any municipality who shall have any private or personal financial dealings with, for, or on account of the municipality, except such as are imposed by his official position, or who shall render any service or do any work or supply any commodity for financial compensation, payable out of the funds of the municipality, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and the doing of such act shall constitute grounds for impeachment of such person. (Code 1907, §1175; Code 1923, §1891; Code 1940, T. 37, §452.)

Ala. Code § 11-43-162 Grounds for Impeachment - Misapplication of Funds from Special Tax.

11-43-162. Grounds for Impeachment - Misapplication of Funds from Special Tax. Any member of the council who shall vote in favor of or any mayor who shall approve any resolution or ordinance to apply the funds or any part thereof derived from the special tax provided for in article 1 of chapter 81 of this title, to any other purpose than to the payment of such interest and principal of such bonds may be impeached in the manner provided in this article, and shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be imprisoned for not less than 30 days and for not more than six months and may be fined a sum of not less than $100.00 nor more than $500.00. (Code 1907, §1176; Code 1923, §1892; Code 1940, T. 37, §453.)

Ala. Code § 11-43-163 Powers of Council or Committee as to Witnesses, Etc.; Secretary of Committee.

11-43-163. Powers of Council or Committee as to Witnesses, Etc.; Secretary of Committee. The council or a committee thereof duly authorized by resolution may summon witnesses and compel their attendance and compel witnesses to testify and produce books and papers and may punish them by imprisonment, not exceeding 10 days, for failure to attend or refusal to testify or produce books or papers. The presiding officer of the council or of the committee may administer oaths to witnesses. During a session of the council or of a committee any person who is guilty of disorderly or contemptuous behavior in the presence of the council or the committee, may be punished by the council or committee by arrest and imprisonment not exceeding 24 hours. A committee may require any officer of the police force or any patrolman to act as secretary of such committee. (Code 1907, §1177; Code 1923, §1893; Code 1940, T. 37, §454.)

Source: Alabama Legislature (alison.legislature.state.al.us)URL: https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/code-of-alabamaFetched: 10/20/2026