Holt resigns from magistrate post
Hartselle Court Clerk/Magistrate Stan Holt turned in his resignation Wednesday amid an Alabama Bureau of Investigation probe into the finances of Holt’s department.
City Attorney Larry Madison said Holt and his attorney, Christy Miller, met with Mayor Don Hall at 3 p.m. Wednesday. During that meeting, Holt submitted his resignation.
“He was not asked to resign,” Madison said. “He tendered his resignation on his own.”
Holt’s decision came after he was placed on unpaid administrative leave following a yearly audit that revealed problems with finances in Holt’s department.
The city turned the audit over to the ABI and Decatur auditor Darrell Wates to conduct an independent investigation of the court clerk/magistrate’s department.
“There are serious discrepancies between the expenses and deposits of his department and some of it is not accounted for,” Madison said.
Madison would not comment on specifics about how much money was missing or whether that money had been repaid.
“I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize the investigation that’s being conducted by ABI,” Madison said.
Holt was a 20-year employee with the City of Hartselle and previously served as a dispatcher before becoming the court clerk/magistrate.