Council member arrested for allegedly harassing resident: ‘Keep my name out your mouth’

By Alaina Bookman | abookman@al.comMargaret City Council Member Jonathan Ray was arrested for harassment on Thursday, according to St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office records. Ray, 43, was booked at 12:26 p.m. and released at 3:12 p.m. on Oct. 1 on a $1,000 bond. Ray turned himself in following a confrontation with residents after a recent city council meeting, according to reports from ABC33/40. AL.com reached out to Ray but did not receive a response prior to publishing. “Mr. Ray has been charged, not convicted, and he is entitled to due process. His guilt or innocence on that charge will be determined through the judicial system,” Margaret Mayor Matthew Tortorice told AL.com in a statement. “But the standards we expect from elected officials are a separate question.”Tortorice told AL.com in a statement that he was at Margaret City Hall the evening of the incident involving Ray and the resident, but he was inside the building when it occurred and did not personally witness the confrontation that ultimately led to Ray’s arrest.Tortorice, instead, highlighted a video of Ray and residents standing outside Margaret City Hall having a heated exchange on Sept. 21. The video, reviewed by AL.com, does not clearly show what the council members or residents were talking about. Tortorice says the exchange stemmed from a public records request. “The footage also captures an exchange involving resident Gary Himert, who previously submitted a substantial public records request seeking communications involving city officials,” Tortorice said. Efforts to reach Himert were unsuccessful.“Mr. Himert has publicly said that he submitted that request because he wanted to determine for himself what was actually happening inside his city government. In the recording, Mr. Ray tells Mr. Himert that if he wants the requested information, he will have to sue.”The video also shows Ray telling Himert, “You come here and you run your mouth.”“Keep my name out your mouth,” the council member later continued. Ray is later seen ending the exchange by shaking hands with Himert. Tortorice said there is a documented history of complaints concerning Ray’s conduct. Earlier this year, the mayor proposed that Ray be removed from his position as mayor pro tem and be censured.That proposal did not move forward with the council. Margaret city leadership has a history of infighting that has interfered with city business. Tortorice once called the council “antagonistic,” after members claimed he was making decisions without their consideration. Tortorice added in his statement that his concern about the most recent incident extends beyond Ray’s conduct. “What concerns me further is that this is not occurring in isolation. The footage shows other council members present during these exchanges, laughing at or participating in portions of what is happening rather than putting an end to it,” Tortorice said. He later continued. “There is an inherent shame in watching this kind of behavior become associated with Margaret. I love this city, and I hate seeing its name associated with conduct like this,” Tortorice said. He added that the council will have to come together to decide what’s next. “As for Mr. Ray’s position as mayor pro tem, concerns about his conduct have been brought before the council previously. The council now has to decide what standard of conduct it expects from someone it chooses to place in a leadership position.”Alaina Bookman is a reporter covering Birmingham metro area news. She joined AL.com in 2023 as a Report for America corps member and violence prevention reporter covering efforts to improve safety and well...