A small Alabama town was thrown into chaos after a fiery farewell speech from its most outspoken resident — Jackie Beltaine, a self-proclaimed “Buddhist Witch” and creator of The Tarrant Tattler, an opinion-driven outlet that’s ruffled feathers in local government for years.
During Monday evening’s Tarrant City Council meeting — just six miles outside Birmingham — Beltaine hijacked the floor to deliver what was meant to be a goodbye address before her upcoming move out of town. What followed, however, was anything but polite parting words.
Beltaine, 40, opened her remarks with a veneer of civility, telling councilmembers and Mayor Wayman Newton that she had spent weeks poring over the city’s municipal code, state laws, court documents, and the Alabama Constitution in an attempt to understand why the city’s leadership is so, in her words, “dysfunctional.”
“I wanted to make sure I understood what was supposed to be happening, what was happening, and how far apart the two were,” she told the room, standing firm and unapologetic.
Then the tone shifted.
After a long-winded summary of her findings, Beltaine erupted into an unfiltered, profane tirade aimed squarely at the city’s top brass — a moment that was live-streamed on Facebook for the whole community to witness.
“So now, you won’t have to deal with me anymore,” she declared. “I know you’re glad to hear that.” Then, quoting what she claimed was a line from the mayor’s own legal history, she turned to each leader seated before her and shouted: “F*** you, f*** you, f*** you…” all while flipping her middle finger at each one in turn, including the city clerk, before storming out.
The room reacted with a mix of shock and awkward chuckles — Mayor Newton himself among those cracking a grin, while others sat frozen, visibly uncomfortable.
Still, Beltaine made a point of thanking the council for one thing: the unintended education they had provided her.
“I learned more from you all than I ever did in any civics class,” she said. “Because if you had ever managed to function like a team, I wouldn’t have had to learn any of this.”
After the meeting, Newton downplayed the spectacle, calling Beltaine a “pretty vocal” citizen who had long expressed what many in the community privately felt.
“She said out loud what a lot of people think,” he told AL.com. “They may not say it online or in public, but the sentiments are shared.”
Beltaine later confirmed that her anger was not isolated.
“I’m not saying anything that half this town hasn’t already thought,” she explained. “I’m just the one who had the chance to say it before I left.”
She added that her decision to research city laws was deliberate: “If I was going to challenge them, I needed to come armed with facts, not just feelings.”
While Mayor Newton laughed off her words, Councilwoman Tracie Threadford, who is currently running against him in the August 26 mayoral election, condemned the outburst.
“I would never allow any citizen to come in and disrespect my colleagues like that,” Threadford said. “Has Tarrant really fallen this low?”
Threadford is one of two challengers aiming to unseat Newton, who has his own history of controversy — including previous allegations of unprofessional behavior during council meetings, and even a physical altercation in 2022 with another councilmember.
Beltaine, who describes herself as a staunch ally of the LGBTQIA and BLM communities, later posted a video of her outburst on her Facebook page, captioning it: “I’m that b**ch, saying what needs to be said.”
Though she’s relocating, Beltaine urged others in Tarrant not to stay silent.
“I may be gone, but someone else has to keep the fire burning,” she said. “Hold them accountable. Demand better.”