Judge halts London city council from cutting jobs after 86 employees file lawsuit
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- 86 city employees sue after council overrides mayor to cut jobs and pay.
- Ordinances threaten 51 positions, including police, fire, IT and public works.
- Plaintiffs seek injunction, reinstatement and damages, citing retaliation.
After 86 employees sued the city of London Tuesday, a judge has granted a restraining order temporarily preventing the city council from implementing ordinances that will cut the city’s budget and workforce and alter the employee pay scale.
The judge’s ruling came Wednesday, just one day after city employees filed an employee discrimination lawsuit in Laurel County Circuit Court against the London City Council, all six council members and the city itself. The suit claims the new ordinances will cause irreparable damage and are retaliatory against the employees.
Mayor Randall Weddle has previously said the ordinances will result in 51 jobs being cut, including deep losses to the police, fire, IT and public works departments. The lawsuit says 72 city positions could be eliminated.
The ordinances were passed at a special-called meeting at Laurel County Fiscal Court Tuesday. Weddle vetoed them after the second readings, but the council unanimously overrode the mayor’s vetoes, setting the ordinances up for publication next week.
Wednesday, the special judge assigned to the case, 11th Judicial Circuit Chief Circuit Judge Samuel Spalding, approved a restraining order requested by the employees that prevents the council from implementing the ordinances, which would have occurred in early January. Spalding determined the plaintiffs provided sufficient evidence in the complaint that the ordinances are retaliatory and public safety in London would be adversely affected by the changes.
The restraining order will remain in effect until Spalding can hear arguments, and a hearing has been scheduled for Monday, Jan. 5 at the Laurel County Judicial Center.
The ordinances are an attempt by the council to “usurp” Weddle’s executive authority and gain control over city departments, the lawsuit reads. City employees are seeking the reinstatement of all terminated plaintiffs and unspecified compensatory damages from lost wages and emotional distress.
In a statement posted to the city of London Facebook page Wednesday, the city said Weddle will be required to implement layoffs Thursday, Jan. 8. They would affect the fire department, street department and building inspector’s office.
“If this occurs, the city will temporarily have no fire services, no street department operations and no building inspection services,” the post reads.
Along with the restraining order, the employees have asked for a temporary injunction to prevent the council from enforcing the ordinances, and potentially firing or laying off employees, while the case is ongoing, according to the motion asking for an injunction.
The chief regional circuit judge in Laurel County, Gregory Lay, was disqualified from the case due to his knowledge of the dispute between the council and the employees, and the case was instead assigned to Spalding.
Chris Wiest, an attorney who represents the council, told the Herald-Leader Wednesday his clients are aware of the lawsuit and analyzing it, but believe the claims are frivolous.
Emily Campbell, an attorney representing the city employees, all of whom were named in the suit, said a total of 135 employees could be affected by the ordinances, and she is determined to save their jobs.
“We hope that we have a good result because these peoples’ livelihood depends on it,” Campbell said. “I feel that these people were targeted, I feel like this is retaliatory.”
The lawsuit is the latest development in an ongoing clash between Weddle and the council, which tried to impeach him in September. The Kentucky Supreme Court most recently ruled there would be no irreparable harm from keeping Weddle in office as the council’s efforts to remove him continue.
The council will next meet Monday, Jan. 5 at the London Community Center and is set to hear reports from department heads.
Effects of the new ordinances
The lawsuit says the city employee pay scale ordinance eliminates 37 positions and reduces the pay of approximately 30 others. The plaintiffs say the plan appears to target specific individuals and departments.
The ordinances will result in the termination of 13 police officers, leaving a maximum of two officers available at any time. The motion for a temporary injunction says there could be instances where one or no officers are available for shifts.
“A single officer on a shift can neither safely nor legally handle armed subjects, domestic violence, pursuits, accidents, overdoses, school threats, and/or mental health crises,” the court document reads.
The council has not disputed the amended budget would result in job cuts, but Councilman Judd Weaver previously said the amendments were necessary after Weddle made several illegal hires during his term, beginning in January 2023. Weaver and Councilwoman Kelly Greene claimed the mayor has hired more than 70 people without the council’s approval, but Weddle disputed that, saying he’s hired only 15 full-time employees.
The police department’s investigative divisions will also be affected, and the internet crimes against children division would be eliminated. The ordinances also prevent officers from taking department vehicles home, which could slow down response times if officers are dispatched to emergencies while off-duty, the motion reads.
The fire department will be dismantled if the ordinances go into effect, the lawsuit says, additionally harm the public, which could go without proper protection and face higher insurance rates. There is also $0 budgeted for equipment for the fire department. The motion for a temporary injunction says the current vehicle lease expires at the end of the year, leaving no money to renew or replace equipment next year.
Campbell said if the fire department remained functional, they could be down to only two firefighters per shift.
“It’s very dangerous to say, ‘you two people respond to this fire, and we’ll try to get you help as soon as we can,’” Campbell said. “It puts their life in danger.”
The public works department will lose between 14 and 22 employees. The city said in the Facebook post most of the sanitation workers have indicated they will quit their jobs, which will cause disruptions to trash collection beginning next week.
Weddle will also be required to lay off all city clerks and the rescue squad by the first week of February. The city’s Facebook post says the mayor is committed to finding a resolution to restore stability in city hall and continue public services.
The lawsuit says the budget cuts are unnecessary, as several city departments have come in under budget. Sherry Jones, London’s director of finance, said the city is financially sound and not facing any budgetary shortfalls as of Dec. 1.
The council did not meet with Weddle or department leaders prior to crafting the budget. The lawsuit says the council is unaware of the departments’ spending habits and made decisions without exercising due diligence.
“It’s crazy to think that they act as if they have no blame if there is blame to be placed,” Campbell said. “I think this was done in such a haste by them that they don’t even fully understand the implications themselves.”
This story was originally published December 31, 2025 at 1:35 PM.
