The City of Fort Payne is currently in a legal battle with former Rainsville Mayor Nick Jones over two business murals that allegedly violate the city zoning ordinances.
Jones purchased property in Fort Payne’s downtown in spring 2021 to relocate his newspaper business, The Southern Torch, according to a report by the Times-Journal. During the renovation process, two murals representing other businesses — Fort Payne Footworks and First State Bank — were printed on the building.
On November 13, 2025, Fort Payne's zoning and ordinance enforcement officer, Nick Brown, issued a criminal misdemeanor citation to Jones, claiming the murals violated the City’s OFF-PREMISES SIGN Ordinance number 44-559.
The ordinance was updated in 2024 to include the prohibition of murals. However, when the murals were printed, the 2008 ordinance rules still applied, the Times-Journal reported.
Jones told the outlet that neither the City nor the downtown Mainstreet organization informed him that murals were not allowed. He argued that he should be grandfathered in since the murals were printed before the ordinance was changed in 2024.
"Nick [Brown] and the City are wrong on this,” Jones said in a February statement. “He even implied to me that he did not want to pursue this but was being pushed to do so. The first call I got about this was in September of 2025.”
Jones further questioned the timing and motivation of the citation.
“The timing is suspicious because in August of 2025, the Times Journal ran a story about political contributions in the municipal races, and some of those raised eyebrows. This is selective, vindictive prosecution of someone that City Hall, Brown, and I guess, the mayor, does not like. I'll see them in court."
Last week, Jones filed a motion requesting that the City’s prosecutor, Stephen Bussman, be removed from the case due to his alleged personal bias.
Jones claims Bussman made several derogatory statements on social media, including calling Jones a “fraud” and saying he was “guilty” in an unrelated matter. Jones said the fact that the statements were made while Jones was running for office is irrelevant.
He’s asked the court to appoint a “disinterested” prosecutor to protect his Fifth and 14th Amendment rights.
“The evidence of bias is not subtle,” the motion stated. “A prosecutor who has done these things cannot, as a matter of law, be trusted to exercise his discretion in a disinterested fashion.”
The case is currently postponed until either side files a motion to set a new court date, according to the Times-Journal.
To connect with the story's author or comment, email [email protected] or find him on X and Facebook.
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
