The Fairfield City Council called a special meeting Friday morning and less than one hour later, voted 4-0 to disband the police department effective April 1.

Mayor Kenneth Coachman, however, questioned the legality of the council's action and said bankruptcy is the "only way out" for the cash-strapped city.

City Council President Darnell Gardner sent out notice of the meeting about 11:30 a.m. The note said the purpose was to approve the dissolution and to seek services from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department.

The city continues to grapple with crippling budget issues and ongoing conflicts between the council and Mayor Kenneth Coachman. Walmart closed in the city, costing Fairfield an estimated $120,000 per month in sales taxes.

At 12:22 p.m., the four council members present - Gardner, Gloria Matthews, Harry C. Lee and Willie Hardley - voted to dissolve the police force. A second vote, to contract with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office for police protection, also passed in a 3-0 vote with Hardley abstaining. The councilors left the meeting without comment. Matthews just two weeks ago said the council had "no intention whatsoever" of disbanding the city police and fire departments. Hardley said they had to consider something.

The meeting, and subsequent vote, came as a surprise to city and police officials. The questioned not only the legality of the decision, but also the meeting itself. "It was scheduled to start at 12:30 p.m. but it started about 20 minutes after and it was a rush-through,'' Coachman said. "If you've ever been to any of our meetings, you know that is not usually the case."

Fairfield City Attorney Edward May II said the council only had to give notice of the meeting one hour in advance, and had done so. As for the meeting starting early, May said the clock in the council chambers reflected 12:30 p.m.

Disbanding the PD was proposed Monday night among other measures. None were approved then by the full council. The vote Monday to disband the police department was split 3-3, with one abstention.

"I think it would help us a great deal," Gardner said then. "I look at it as contracting those services out, and it would save us a tremendous amount of money in overhead. It's hard for us to maintain our fleets, it's hard for us to keep gas in these vehicles, we're just paying out of our butts to keep this stuff going."

Following today's meeting, Coachman said the council doesn't have the authority to dissolve any department, and said police services would continue as usual, despite the vote, that no officers had been let go, and that the police department would continue as long as there is money for pay.

"I thought when Walmart closed, it was perhaps the darkest day in Fairfield, but I think this will go down as the dumbest day in Fairfield,'' the mayor said. "As long as we can muster up some money to pay them, there will be a police department in the city of Fairfield."

The city has about 11,000 residents, according to the 2010 Census.

"The city is in a state of emergency. We are really at a point of whether we are going to have a city or not,'' Coachman said. "These (disbanding the police department) are not issues we need to be dealing with now. We're still trying to fill the gap between Walmart closing and how we're going to put that money back in the system."

"I do not understand why you want to dissolve your police department at this point in time with crime being the way it is,'' Coachman said. "My police department, I count them second to none. They are exceptional."

"It is ludicrous to me," he said. "How can you be so reckless in a city this size? I do not understand it for all of the rice China will produce."

He said the police department will stay in place for as long as Coachman can pay them. "For the past eight years, I have had to scrap at payroll. That's not new,'' he said. "That is something I'm willing to do until we can pick this city up and move forward. To dissolve your police department, that beats all."

Additionally, Coachman said, there is no agreement in place for the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office to step in. Sheriff's Chief Deputy Randy Christian agreed, and said there is much to be worked out if deputies ever were to take over law enforcement duties in the city.

"Obviously there is infighting between the mayor and council. We will not get involved in the politics currently going on in Fairfield. Our hope is they will continue to provide their own police protection," he said. "Should they get their political issues worked out, and I don't see that happening any time soon, we would have to first agree to such an arrangement and then hire and train personnel. That doesn't happen overnight. It appears they have a lot of obstacles to overcome before approaching us. The leadership there needs to come together, resolve their issues and do their best to keep their police department on the job."

Fairfield police Chief Leon Davis said he received notice at 11:30 a.m. that the special meeting had been called for 12:30 p.m. "Upon my arrival at 12:20 p.m., the meeting had been held and a vote taken to dissolve and to enter into contract with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office,'' Davis said. "Even now, I remain in a state of shock and disbelief that members of the council will take this action."

"However, after meeting with Mayor Coachman, I am certain the Fairfield Police Department will remain a viable force in the City of Fairfield. We will continue to provide the best possible service to the citizens and business owners."

Coachman said he wants the city to file Chapter 9, which he described as "the only way out" of the city's financial woes. "It will give us some breathing room. These items will come later,'' he said. "Right now I've got to do what's necessary to try to stabilize this police department and get them moving so they continue to do the very fine job they have been doing."

As for the relationship between the council and the mayor, Coachman described it as broken. "This is the worst I've seen yet, and I've been here eight years."