EFFINGHAM, IL (WAND) - Scott Ealy, a local attorney who's running for mayor, said the city of Effingham doesn't recognize Martin Luther King Day of Service.

He told WAND News a friend of his, who works for the city, still has to come to work Monday. 

"I think it's a serious mistake," Ealy said. "I don't think the person [his friend] had been exposed to a true recognition of the holiday by city government." 

Dr. King's legacy and the civil rights movement hit close to Ealy. The lawyer said he's worked under the wings of people who have met King. Ealy mentioned how he looked up to Dr. Aaron Henry of Misssissippi. He said Henry was close to the late civil rights icon, Medgar Evers. 

Ealy mentioned Effingham used to have a dark past of being a 'sundown town'. He believes the city government is sending an unintentional message to have its employees work that day. 

"It's a message - I suppose of neglect. Why is the city government working when the other governments aren't working?" Ealy asked. 

The mayor of Effingham said that's not truly accurate. Jeff Bloemker told WAND News that people who work for the city have the option of having MLK Day by using one of their two personal days. 

"The city employees decided not to take it off as an employee holiday," Bloemker explained. 

MLK Day is observed as a '"day on, not a day off". The purpose behind the national holiday is to be a day of community service. Before Bloemker's administration, the mayor said the city didn't want to add another paid holiday because "it was an expense".

"They [city employees] would've switched the Friday after Thanksgiving, that would've been acceptable," Bloemker said. 

However, Bloemker's explanation isn't enough for Ealy. 

"I don't think the correct answer is to say 'this is what we did in the past'," Ealy said. "I think the people in my community are a people of goodwill, but this is an aberration to being a people of goodwill."  

Ealy said he hopes to see the situation addressed.