Judge Will Review Mayor's Removal

Joyce Beck was elected to a two-year term in Forest Heights in May. (Joyce Beck)

Forest Heights Mayor Joyce Beck has been ousted from her job by the Town Council in the latest chapter of a bitter dispute that has roiled this small Prince George's town.

But Beck's supporters are fighting back. They filed for an injunction in Prince George's Circuit Court yesterday to stop her removal, and a judge set a hearing for Jan. 17.

"The judge will decide whether [the Town Council was] right or wrong," said Beck, who was elected to a two-year term in May. "Until then, Joyce Beck is the people's mayor."

The council's action Thursday night followed months of infighting between Beck and council members. Meetings often disintegrated into chaos, and even minor issues -- such as fixing the town hall's leaking roof -- became mired in the turmoil.

The tensions came to a head in October when the town's police chief, Michael Eubank, filed assault charges against Beck for allegedly slamming a door on the arm of an officer and for allegedly knocking over a former council member. A day after she was served with the charges, Beck fired Eubank and appointed herself chief of the four-officer force. She has denied the assault allegations.

Forest Heights, a town of 2,600 residents with tree-lined streets, manicured lawns and Cape Cod-style houses nestled between Indian Head Highway and the District border, has rarely seen such unrest. To her supporters, Beck is an honest crusader keen on improving the town. Her enemies find her abrasive and uncompromising.

In November, the council approved a dozen amendments to the town's charter, proposed by council member Myles Spires Jr., whom Beck considers a political foe. The amendments included one that permitted council members to oust Beck on Jan. 6 and gave control of the town to the council until a new mayor could be elected.

Beck's supporters then led a petition drive to seek a referendum on the ouster amendment. They gathered 346 signatures from among the town's estimated 1,500 registered voters, meeting the legal requirement to get a referendum put before voters. The Town Council and Beck voted to reject the petition 4 to 3 Thursday night.

Spires argued that the petitioners had 40 days from the amendment of the charter to present their petition and that they missed the Dec. 26 deadline, according to council member George Wiggers. Spires did not return a phone message seeking comment.

John Kennedy, one of the leaders of the petition campaign, said the signatures were submitted Dec. 23.

"I felt that the citizens should be heard," said Wiggers, who voted to accept the petition. "We needed to respect their wish to have a referendum."