n Daphne Holcombe claims she was unfairly ousted by Mayor Ed Neelly.

By Emily Le Coz

Daily Journal

TUPELO - Former city Chief Financial Officer Daphne Holcombe must wait at least one year before taking her case against the municipality to court.

Her trial has been set for the morning of June 7, 2010, in the U.S. District Court in Aberdeen. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock will preside.

But both parties will have a chance to resolve their dispute before the case heads to court. A mediation has been scheduled for April 23 before Magistrate Judge Jerry A. Davis.

Holcombe's attorney is Jim Waide of Tupelo. The city is being represented by Pope Mallette of Oxford.

Holcombe is suing the city because, she claims, the mayor unfairly ousted her earlier this year and she was discriminated against because she's a woman.

She says she was forced to resign after raising objections to the Tupelo Convention and Visitors budget and its coliseum payments, as well as for questioning other decisions. She wants damages for financial loss.

Holcombe had been employed with the city since 1998. In addition to being the city's chief financial officer, she served as its clerk, internal auditor and purchase agent, as well as overseeing the city's elections, managing its budget and preparing its financial statements.

Tupelo employee Kim Hanna now handles those responsibilities as the city's interim CFO.

Contact Emily Le Coz at (662) 678-1588 or emily.lecoz@djournal.com.