SYLACAUGA, Ala. – A Talladega County circuit judge has found that former Sylacauga City Clerk/Treasurer Alexandra Lambert was wrongfully terminated, ruling that former Mayor Jim Heigl did not possess the legal authority to remove her from the position.
In an order issued by Circuit Judge Chad Woodruff, the court overturned a portion of a 2025 decision by the Sylacauga Civil Service Board and directed the parties to enter mediation in an attempt to resolve the matter.
The case arose from Lambert’s appeal of the Civil Service Board’s April 2025 ruling concerning her dismissal. Although board members unanimously concluded that Lambert had violated multiple city personnel policies, a divided board also determined that Heigl had the authority to terminate her because he was responsible for her hiring.
Woodruff rejected that conclusion, pointing to Alabama law that assigns appointment authority for the City Clerk/Treasurer position to the Sylacauga City Council rather than the mayor.
Court records show Lambert was appointed on April 4, 2023, when the City Council approved her selection by a 4-1 vote. Based on that action, the court determined that the council served as the appointing authority.
As a result, Woodruff reversed the board’s finding regarding the mayor’s power to dismiss Lambert and concluded that her termination was improper.
Having determined that Heigl lacked authority to remove Lambert from office, the court found it unnecessary to examine whether the personnel policy violations cited by the city would have otherwise justified her dismissal.
The ruling also states that reinstatement is not an available remedy because Lambert’s term as City Clerk/Treasurer expired during the course of the litigation following a subsequent election.
Instead, the court ordered both sides to participate in mediation, with the City of Sylacauga responsible for the mediator’s costs.
Should mediation fail to produce a settlement, Woodruff indicated that the court will issue a final order addressing the remaining issues in the case at a later date.
