The recently-fired city manager of College Park claims that her termination was in retaliation by officials over her refusal to go along with a plan to violate the city's code of ordinances.

In a sudden vote on Monday night, the College Park City Council voted to remove Lindell Y. Miller from her position.

Miller had been unanimously appointed to the position in September after serving as interim city manager for months.

"Your leadership, vision, and commitment to our community make this an exciting transition. We look forward to the continued progress under your leadership," city officials wrote on Facebook at that time.

An abrupt firing not on the agenda

The sudden vote occured during Monday's City Council meeting, just after Mayor Pro Tem Dr. Jamelle E. McKenzie's promotion of the city's upcoming Winter Market.

"I am making the motion to terminate the contract for Lindell Miller and to appoint Mr. Michael Hicks as our interim city manager, effective immediately," Councilman Joe Carn announced.

"Uh, that's not on the agenda," Mayor Bianca Motley Broom responded.

Broom turned to City Attorney Winston Denmark for clarification, where he confirmed that Carn could make the motion. It was then seconded by Councilmember Tracie Arnold. While Broom asked if there was any discussion of the move, no one spoke. 

The mayor then brought the motion to a vote, which it passed 3-1, with Councilman Roderick Gay opposing.

While the situation was happening, Miller packed up her belongings and silently left the meeting after the vote.

Fired College Park city manager claims "illegal activity"

In a statement, Miller said that she was fired after refusing "to participate in illegal activity in violation of the City's code of ordinances."

Miller claims that her termination stems from The Ivy at College Park apartment complex, formerly known as Chelsea Gardens.

Earlier this year, the city condemned the property over what officials described as "deplorable conditions," ordering all the residents to leave. Miller claimed that the city's Code Enforcement team and fire chief were concerned that the owner of the property was not pulling the proper permits and placed a stop-work order until they had the correct authorization.

Miller says that on Nov. 13, she was approached by Carn and Anderson, who she alleges demanded that she waive the permit fees so work could continue on the property.

"I call upon the state attorney's office, the GBI, and law-enforcement, to perform an investigation to determine if there were any possible kickbacks regarding Chelsea Gardens/Ivy since we know that the condemning of the property was not done properly and my refusal to waive the permits and violate the law came at a cost," Miller said in a statement.

City leaders have not shared any reasons why Lindell was let go from the position. CBS News Atlanta has reached out to Carn and Arnold for a response to Miller's claims, but have not heard back.

"I am most appreciative of the time, energy, and effort that Lindell Miller offered to the City of College Park," McKenzie said in a statement. "We are better because of her commitment and contributions during her tenure, and we thank her for her service to our community at this time."

"What we've been doing to pick city managers isn't working. That's clear from our track record and we need to take a different approach," Broom told CBS News in Atlanta in a statement. "I believe the search for our next city manager should be a nationwide effort. We need to employ new tools and strategies to find the right candidate for our city. Just as important, our residents, staff, and other stakeholders deserve a meaningful role in the process, and I'm hopeful we will build a search that reflects the full strength and diversity of our community."

Hicks, the city's current chief information officer, will be the fifth city manager for College Park in less than four years. Miller replaced Dr. Emmanuel Adediran, who was terminated in May.