BELLE — During his last meeting as mayor on Tuesday night, Josh Seaver presented the Belle Board of Aldermen with evidence that Marshal Joe Turnbough was “misappropriating city property” and called for his resignation.

Prior to stepping down from his mayoral seat June 9, Seaver showed aldermen a video from the Maries County Sheriff’s Office Belle Division station security footage. The footage showed Turnbough and his wife Deborah Turnbough climbing into a city police car and leaving without securing safety belts. He also had photographs of the Belle police car parked outside of Phelps Health in Rolla where Turnbough has taken a full-time position.

Seaver read from the following letter while addressing the board and citizens present.

“On the afternoon of May 27, 2020, at approximately 3 p.m., I received word that the Belle Police patrol vehicle currently issued to Marshal Turnbough had been observed en route to Rolla on Highway 63 near Vichy.

It is no secret that the board of aldermen has held repeated conversations with Marshal Turnbough about the use of city equipment for personal reasons and travel outside of the city limits. It is my belief these actions place undo liability risk on the city and are in violation of city policy.

As mayor and a steward of the city, myself and Alderman (Ken) Stanfield traveled to Rolla to determine if the automobile was being used in an official capacity or once again for personal travel.

At approximately 3:45 p.m., Alderman Stanfield and myself observed the Belle patrol vehicle parked at Phelps Health in Rolla where Marshal Turnbough had taken a full-time position.

At approximately 11 p.m. that same evening while working in my shop located on Vienna Street, Marshal Turnbough stopped and confronted me about why I was observed taking pictures of the police cruiser. The course of that conversation only reaffirmed the suspicion that the vehicle had in fact been used by the marshal for transport to and from his secondary place of employment, by his own admission and with a witness present, no less than five times.

Another long-standing point of conjecture between the board of aldermen and the marshal has been allowing civilians, particularly the marshal’s spouse, to ride along in the patrol vehicles. This not only goes against policy but poses a liability risk to the city of Belle and could potentially place Mrs. Turnbough in unneeded risk. 

Sometime between 12:30 and 1 a.m. on May 28, the marshal and his wife were observed traveling the streets of Belle in the same city owned police cruiser.

Upon review, security camera footage clearly shows the marshal and Mrs. Turnbough climb into the city police cruiser, fail to properly buckle their seat belts, and depart the police station on the aforementioned joy ride.

Given the concrete evidence of misuse of city property and blatant disregard for official policy, I, with the support of the sitting board of alderman, would like to formally request that Marshal Turnbough turn in all city equipment in his possession and tender his letter of resignation from the position of Marshal, Belle Mo. This resignation should take effect immediately without any continuation of wages or benefits beyond those accrued to date.

Should Marshal Turnbough reject this formal request, I would strongly encourage the mayor elect and board of aldermen proceed with the impeachment and removal from office of Marshal Turnbough based on the grounds of misappropriation of city property, and failure to adhere to city policies.”

More information on the discussion will be available in the June 17 edition of The Advocate.