City leaders in Monroe said controversy over performance bonuses and threatening calls to the police chief forced them to fire the city manager.

Monday afternoon, city council members released meeting minutes from two recent closed sessions.

In the minutes, Monroe Police Chief Debra Duncan revealed to council members that on July 16, a woman called her business line and spoke with Duncan's assistant. The woman asked to speak with Chief Duncan, who was out of the office.

The woman then allegedly told Duncan's assistant to "tell that red-headed (expletive) that she was going to get hers and that she was going to get hurt," and then quickly disconnected.

Chief Duncan told the council her officers traced the caller's number back to the home address of city manager Wayne Herron.

Duncan said she considered contacting SBI for communicating threats, but instead decided to bring the matter before council in closed session to save the city from any potential embarrassment.

The closed session ended without any official action from the council, but after the meeting, council members Lynn Keziah, John Ashcraft and Margaret Desio met in Ashcraft's office to discuss asking for Herron's resignation.

The council members also consulted Freddie Gordon before making their decision, but three other members -- Dottie Nash, Billy Jordan, and Mayor Bobby Kilgore -- were not included in the discussion or aware of Herron's resignation until the following day.

The revelations came after weeks of controversy over performance bonuses awarded to certain city officials.

Herron had recommended denying a $3,000 performance bonus for Chief Duncan in June, but an Eyewitness News investigation revealed he had given thousands of dollars in bonuses to other employees, some just days before denying the Chief's.

Council members tell Channel 9 the bonus controversy and the threat allegations were too much for Herron to overcome and effectively continue in his current position.

Monday, the council voted to create a search committee to find a new city manager.