Approximately 30 people gather for a rally before the Monday, Sept. 8, 2025, Huntington City Council meeting in a show of support for Councilwoman Ally Layman.
Approximately 30 people gather for a rally before the Monday, Sept. 8, 2025, Huntington City Council meeting in a show of support for Councilwoman Ally Layman.
HUNTINGTON ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” A proposed investigation into the residency of a Huntington City Council member was moved to the councilÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s rules and ethics committee during a regular meeting Monday night.
After an approximately 40-minute discussion between council members on a resolution that would direct City Attorney Scott Damron to investigate the residency of At-Large Councilwoman Ally Layman, the council voted to move the resolution to the councilÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s rules and ethics committee for consideration of the process of changing residency and other items.
The committee is composed of council members Sarah Walling, Rob Archer and Tia Rumbaugh. The motion was made by Councilwoman Holly Smith Mount, who created the committee several years ago when she was council chair, she said.
Mount said after the meeting that the council currently does not have an appropriate process in place to deal with situations such as this in a fair and consistent manner.
Mount said the plan would be for the council to come up with a process by which it can address the resolution and other issues that might come up. Mount said it would save time and be more financially responsible for the city.
The resolution proposed by Councilman Jason Arthur would also direct current council Chair Mike Shockley to set a special meeting for the presentation of evidence discovered through the investigation, according to agenda documents.
Arthur amended the resolution to change wording and put a cap of $7,500 on what the city could spend with regard to the investigation.
When explaining why he put the resolution on the agenda, Arthur said several council members received calls or claim to have firsthand information that suggests Layman lives outside city limits.
Arthur said Layman told the council through email that she listed her motherÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s address on all of her official documents. Arthur said he does not believe that matters; instead, he used as evidence the fact that she married someone who lives outside city limits after taking office in January and said Layman moved some of her belongings into that personÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s house after putting her own house up for sale.
Arthur said Layman refused to sign an affidavit under penalty of false swearing affirming that she is a resident of the city. Because Layman had to leave the room during discussions, due her presence being an ethics violation while the council discussed the resolution, Walling and Rumbaugh said Layman contacted an attorney about the affidavit and said there was no deadline by which she had to respond.
According to email responses obtained by The Herald-Dispatch on Tuesday, Shockley sent the affidavit to Layman on Aug. 12, referring in his message to a ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œtext conversationÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ the previous day about the situation and affidavit.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œAs you are aware, our constituents have been asking questions and sending emails asking us to investigate the matter. This has been circling since May,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Shockley said in the email.
Two weeks later, Arthur requested the resolution to be put on the councilÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s agenda.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œItÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s been brought to my attention many times she is not living in city limits but outside of city limits with her new fiance. I wouldnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t be correct in my position if I did not address this and this allows mill layman [sic] to prove her innocence,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Arthur wrote in an email to Shockley on Aug. 25. The email was part of the material the city released to The Herald-Dispatch on Tuesday.
Walling said Layman gave all of the council unredacted copies of her driverÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s license, voter registration card and other proof of residency documents.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œMost of these documents were issued upon the signing of a sworn statement, so even if this resolution is amended to cite credible concerns, what is credible? I have not received any information from anyone with firsthand knowledge of where Ms. Layman is living,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Walling said.
Mount said Layman sent text messages to a moving company that directed them to send her belongings to the home of her mother, with whom she says lives, in city limits. Mount said she would have voted for an investigation if she saw substantial evidence, but did not.
Walling said she was disappointed in how the situation was handled and with little communication before the resolution was put on the council agenda.
Arthur and Councilwoman Stacy Jo Holley said before the vote the support the resolution to investigate LaymanÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s residency, as it puts the councilÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s work in jeopardy. Any agenda item on which Layman was the deciding vote could be challenged based on her eligibility being questioned.
Arthur said he did not want to comment Monday on the resolution being referred to committee. Layman said Monday evening she would comment at a later time.
Before MondayÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s council meeting started, the chambers had reached seating and standing capacity. People were able to watch the livestreamed meeting in the second-floor auditorium, where approximately 20 people observed the meeting along with Layman after she left council chambers.
Approximately 30 people held a rally before the council meeting in a show of support for Layman.
