Jasper City Manager Charles Williams has been accused of threatening a town employee.

JASPER — In front of a full house, the Jasper Town Council agreed to hire a lawyer to investigate claims of the city manager threatening the city clerk at a special called meeting last week.

Rhett Bullard, the town’s attorney, provided the council at the April 24 meeting with an estimate of rates and hourly rate of three firms, recommending Allen Norton & Blue, PA. Constancy Brooks Smith and Prophete LLP had estimated about $6,500, Donnelly & Gross estimated between $3,550 to $7,000 and Allen Norton & Blue, PA estimated about $6,000 for the investigation.

Bullard added that he does not know any of the lawyers at the firms after the council previously expressed concerns of bias in the investigation into claims that Charles Williams, the city manager, had threatened City Clerk Jennifer Hightower with a gun.

Those allegations were made by Hightower at the April 9 meeting. There she said she was threatened April 5 by Williams, who was carrying a gun.

She stated at that meeting that Willliams carries a gun in a holster at City Hall.

She said that he threatened her twice the previous week when he raised his voice at her after she refused to place an item on the agenda.

She added that Williams also placed his hand on his gun.

Hightower said she reported the incident to Mayor Darnell Lumpkin and filed a report with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.

The council directed Williams and Hightower to alternate work days at that time until an investigation could be conducted so they wouldn’t be working at City Hall at the same time.

At the April 24 meeting, Hightower’s mother, Yeteva Hightower asked Bullard if he was under investigation due to allegations brought up at a previous White Springs town meeting. Bullard said that he was not under investigation. Rather it was a comment brought up by a citizen during a town meeting.

“The paper had stated that someone in White Springs made allegations against you,” Hightower said. “Does that mean you have an investigation against you or are you not being investigated for those claims?”

Bullard stated, to his knowledge, that there was no investigation being made against him.

Councilmen Gerald Lewis and William Mitchell both agreed that they should keep Williams and Hightower working alternating days and to hire the investigator to avoid a potential lawsuit from firing one or forcing the two to work together.

The council approved hiring Allen Norton & Blue by a 3-1 vote as well as continuing the alternating work schedule, with LaBarfield Bryant voting against both motions.

Bryant said the council should consider just having the two work out the problem or ask the employees if they are willing to cut their pay to match what they are working.

Bullard said that it would have to be worked out between their lawyers if they wanted to come to an agreement of working together or cutting their pay.