The town council scheduled a special meeting to consider reinstating the department and asking Mayor Ron Shinnick to resign.
COHUTTA, Ga. — The mayor of a small north Georgia town fired its entire police department Wednesday after a dispute involving his wife, leaving county deputies to cover local calls while the town council weighs its next move.
Cohutta Mayor Ron Shinnick dissolved the police department and terminated the chief and about 10 officers, according to notices and local reports. The move came days after city employees complained that Pam Shinnick, the mayor’s wife and former town clerk, was still involved in town business after being fired. The town council called a special meeting for Friday at 5 p.m. to discuss reinstating the department, requesting the mayor’s immediate resignation and reviewing possible outside action.
The notice posted on the Cohutta Police Department door Wednesday said, “The PD has been dissolved, and all personnel have been terminated.” Former Police Chief Greg Fowler said he was notified that morning and was clearing out the department and moving equipment. The decision ended local police operations in the town of 764 people, which sits in Whitfield County near the Tennessee line. The Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office said it would assume law enforcement services in Cohutta. Sheriff Darren Pierce said the transition would allow people inside city limits to keep receiving help from law enforcement and would not affect emergency response times.
Shinnick told reporters the firings were tied to what he described as inappropriate comments posted to Facebook by officers. He did not publicly release a full written explanation of the decision. When asked whether the former officers would be paid, Shinnick said, “They’ll get a paycheck. We’re not that way, and I appreciate their service.” He also compared the move to “changing the coach,” saying it was time for a change. Former Sgt. Jeremy May rejected that explanation and said the officers were being punished for raising concerns about the mayor’s wife. “This all comes to personal vendetta from the mayor, and I wholeheartedly believe that,” May said.
The conflict began before the department was dissolved. On April 27, city employees filed a formal complaint alleging Pam Shinnick continued performing town duties after being removed from her role as clerk. The complaint said she was terminated Jan. 13 on grounds of creating a hostile work environment, according to council minutes cited in local reports. Employees alleged she remained involved with payroll, records, checks and other town work. Former Sgt. Steven Thornton said officers were worried she still had access to private employee information and confidential town records. May also said city employees, including police officers, had delayed paychecks after her removal because town officials said she had been the only person able to sign payroll checks.
Town attorney Brian Rayburn said last week that the town had been left in a difficult position after the clerk’s removal because bills and payroll still had to be handled. At an April 30 news conference, Rayburn said Pam Shinnick had been brought back only on a limited basis and under supervision, which helped spark the complaints. He said the resolution moving forward was that she would immediately stop that limited role. Fowler, then still police chief, read a statement saying the sides had used open dialogue and good-faith mediation to resolve concerns. “We were able to come together, resolve concerns and reaffirm our shared commitment,” Fowler said at the time.
Less than a week later, the department was shut down. Former officers said they had been told their jobs were not at risk after the complaint and mediation process. May said the town attorney had said nobody’s job was in jeopardy. Thornton said officers would not turn over department equipment until someone with proper legal authority could receive it. He said the equipment included items that could create serious problems if lost or mishandled. The town attorney later declined to comment when asked about earlier statements that officers’ jobs would be protected.
The shutdown has placed the town council in a direct fight with the mayor. A meeting notice posted after the firings listed the reinstatement of the police department and a request for Shinnick’s immediate resignation as topics for Friday. Reports also said council members planned to discuss the Georgia Open Meetings Act, the town charter and a possible third-party investigation. The council has not announced whether it has the votes or the legal authority to reverse the firings without the mayor’s support. Shinnick has not said whether he plans to attend the meeting or resign.
The police department’s sudden closure also raised public safety questions in a town that covers a small but active area of northwest Georgia. Cohutta is located between Dalton, Georgia, and Cleveland, Tennessee, and is near Red Clay State Historic Park. The Georgia Municipal Association lists Ron Shinnick as mayor and four council members as elected officials. The town’s website says Cohutta was incorporated in 1895 and sits near the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Former officers said the sheriff’s office already serves a larger area and may face pressure from taking on the town’s police calls. County officials said residents would still receive law enforcement help.
The next major step is the Friday evening council meeting at Cohutta Town Hall. As of May 8, the police department remained dissolved, the sheriff’s office was covering law enforcement services and the mayor had not publicly provided a full written account of the firings.
Author note: Last updated May 8, 2026.