Trail's Council Paycheck to be Garnished

[TulsaSooner]

Nice.

Tulsa councilor's paycheck to be garnished, records show

Councilor Chris Trail's city paycheck will be garnished $22,163 to pay off a court judgment against him related to his Ike's Chili restaurant, records show.

Trail, 40, who was elected to his council seat last fall, makes $18,000 annually as a city councilor. He declined to comment.

City spokeswoman Michelle Allen confirmed that the Payroll Department was served the garnishment affidavit Wednesday.

The total will be paid over time. A percentage will be set based on how much is owed but by law cannot exceed more than 25 percent of disposable earnings.

The total includes $12,407.45 for the principal judgment and interest from Aug. 11, when it was handed down, as well as $1,539.55 in court costs and $8,216 for the plaintiff's attorney fees.

The garnishment stems from the civil lawsuit AKP Express LLC vs. Chris Trail doing business as Ike's Chili. The suit, filed in 2006, involves money Trail borrowed from the plaintiff for a remodeling of his restaurant.

Tulsa County District Court Judge Deborah Shallcross on Aug. 11 sustained the plaintiff's motion for summary judgment.

The next day, the judge stayed the judgment's execution because of a related lawsuit that was still pending.

However, Trail's attorney's lost a battle March 24 for an extension of the stay, allowing the plaintiff's to move forward with the garnishment.

Trail's attorney, Paul Swain, said he was surprised about the garnishment because he and Trail are actively trying to settle the related lawsuit.
Swain said he is going to try to have the garnishment withdrawn.

In the pending lawsuit, some of Trail's former business partners allege that he misappropriated funds designated for payment of sales tax, deposited business cash into his personal bank account and paid personal bills with business money.

During last fall's election, the Tulsa World reported on Trail's numerous court and legal woes.

Among them were a 2008 arrest for failing to appear on two municipal food code violations, a 2005 charge for obtaining merchandise by bogus check which was dismissed after he paid the bill, and numerous tax liens.

Trail and his wife filed for bankruptcy in June 2000 to discharge debt from more than two dozen creditors.

Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20100421_11_0_Counci321109

[shadows]

Are the councilors eligible to be put on paid suspension until a reason comes up like they are not making enough money required to support their life style?  The mayor has a big club in the charter change for calling a councilor up on the carpet that he is using which leads one to believe that the councilors need a second job or be on the city pension list. 

[custosnox]

Are the councilors eligible to be put on paid suspension until a reason comes up like they are not making enough money required to support their life style?  The mayor has a big club in the charter change for calling a councilor up on the carpet that he is using which leads one to believe that the councilors need a second job or be on the city pension list. 

I'm not sure exactly what your getting at there, but councilors only get paid $18k a year, which is not enough to support anyone on it's own unless they live in virtual proverty

[Hoss]

I'm not sure exactly what your getting at there, but councilors only get paid $18k a year, which is not enough to support anyone on it's own unless they live in virtual proverty

And I believe Trail makes enough with Ike's to not really worry so much about it.  But that's just my opinion, taken from my observations of how damned busy the Ike's on Admiral is fairly consistently.

[custosnox]

And I believe Trail makes enough with Ike's to not really worry so much about it.  But that's just my opinion, taken from my observations of how damned busy the Ike's on Admiral is fairly consistently.

I'm just responding to shadow's comment that I think is geared at saying the councilors get paid enough to not have a second job.  I could be wrong on this translation, so I could just be pissing in the wind on my comment.

[Conan71]

And I believe Trail makes enough with Ike's to not really worry so much about it.  But that's just my opinion, taken from my observations of how damned busy the Ike's on Admiral is fairly consistently.

Chronic slow pay with vendors, COD with many.  I don't know if it's poor cash management or the margin is simply too thin.

[shadows]

I'm just responding to shadow's comment that I think is geared at saying the councilors get paid enough to not have a second job.  I could be wrong on this translation, so I could just be pissing in the wind on my comment.

Section 3.1 of the charter  change reads "..council shall hold not less than two (2) regular meetings each month...).  It seems council wants change to a strong council/weak mayor since the strong mayor can spend a million dollars  to fill the mayor chair.

Section 1.5; powers with repect to council. "D" (mayor) request the purpose of any decision or action of the council.

The charter change was to install a strong mayor with a weak part time     council doing a part time job.

Where were the people when this was voted on?  That million dollar mayor could get very nasty.