The Barling Board of Directors voted Tuesday to end the employment of its city administrator after a lengthy suspension.

The board of directors held a special meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, during which the board approved going into executive session. After the executive session, which lasted about five minutes, the board unanimously approved a motion to terminate City Administrator Mike Tanner effective immediately. Tanner was appointed city administrator in January 2013.

The board of directors unanimously approved a motion to suspend Tanner with pay for disciplinary reasons during a special meeting Jan. 24. Sgt. Keith Lindley of the Barling Police Department said at that meeting, one of the directors made a motion for an executive session, during which the board discussed concerns and issues stemming from a recent incident and a history of alleged incidents concerning Tanner over the last several years. The board voted to suspend Tanner as a result of their initial investigation and conversations at that point.

Lindley said the incidents in question were strictly conduct-based, and there were no significant allegations of any sort of major crime. There were allegations from city employees of indirect threats made to them over the course of the last few years. It was Lindley's belief that is why the board of directors acted immediately to conduct an internal investigation around policy and procedure violations.

A Jan. 25 email from Lindley to Lt. Stephen A. Krumm of the Fort Smith Police Department that was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request provided additional information concerning extra patrol that had been requested for a Barling city employee's home in Fort Smith. It stated Tanner was suspended the night of Jan. 24 after an incident that took place earlier that week within city offices.

"After taking statements, from city employees, it was learned Tanner's 'behavior' has been escalating recently over personal and work-related stressors," Lindley stated. "In short, Tanner lost it — yelling and cussing at employees, not allowing one to leave her office, etc. There have also been allegations he has made to (a Barling city employee) in the past of a sexual nature that made her feel both uncomfortable and threatened."

Lindley stated Tanner had also alluded to "shooting" city employees in the past.

"Concerning what is at his disposal, we know Tanner has a significant number of firearms and shoots regularly," Lindley stated. "He is a long-range competition shooter, and he has a multitude of handguns. He is known to always carry a handgun either on his person or in his vehicle at all times. He has a considerable amount of Tannerite and uses it regularly for target practice."

The board unanimously approved a motion to continue Tanner's suspension until Sunday after an executive session during its meeting Feb. 12. It was also at this meeting that they approved a resolution appointing Barling Public Works Director Steve Core to serve as acting city administrator until further notice.

No charges are being considered against Tanner, Lindley said.

"We're not interested in pursuing any type of criminal charges," Lindley said. "I can tell you that the incidents in question are strictly behavioral and are centered around his behavior while at work, and under no circumstances do we think that he violated any laws that require a criminal investigation to push forward."