Mark Trenier v. City of Prichard and Troy Ephriam

Summary

The court affirmed summary judgment for the City of Prichard and its mayor, holding that Trenier’s five-year employment agreement expired by its own terms and that the city council’s approval of that agreement satisfied the statutory removal requirement. After the agreement expired without a new agreement, Trenier served at the mayor’s pleasure as an at-will employee, so the mayor could terminate him without a new four-member council vote. The court also rejected Trenier’s estoppel argument because the mayor had expressly treated his continued service as interim or probationary and Trenier did not object.