A tense Huntsville city council issue could see a sequel Thursday when Councilman Devyn Keith, facing misdemeanor shoplifting charges, again asks his colleagues to approve funding for a council-related trip to Washington.

Two weeks ago, no city council member would allow discussion – much less a vote – on the agenda item of Keith going to Washington with the Huntsville-Madison County Chamber of Commerce later this month. Council members said at the meeting the issue centered on Keith not having enough money remaining in his travel budget for the $2,100 requested for the trip.

Related: Devyn Keith removed as Huntsville city council finance chair, travel request denied

Keith said he believed the pushback stemmed from his February arrests on four shoplifting charges at Huntsville Walmarts. Keith’s first court appearance is next week. He has been charged with four counts of shoplifting with the merchandise totaling $491.13, according to charging documents. Keith is charged with shoplifting at three different Walmart stores in Huntsville.

Keith said he had hoped that money could be shifted from other council members travel budgets into his to help cover the shortfall, saying that it had been done on at least two occasions in the six years he has been on the council.

“This has never been an issue until recent times,” Keith said during the meeting. “And that respectfully, as I stated before, the colleague that spoke earlier about (the travel) budget (Councilwoman Jennie Robinson) has approved twice any change in budget (for a council member’s travel). But it is again, understandable that in the public opinion, it is easy to be guilty before proven innocent. And it’s unfortunate that my colleagues are trending toward that perspective.”

At Thursday’s council meeting, Keith will again ask the council to approve funding for the trip but he has reduced his funding request to what’s essentially remaining in his travel budget – which is $789.17, according to the resolution. Keith asks for all but the 17 cents to be applied to the Washington trip.

He told AL.com after the last meeting two weeks ago that he plans to cover the remaining expenses out of pocket.

The issue of the Washington trip could bring Keith’s legal issues to the forefront of the council for the third straight meeting. At the Feb. 9 meeting – the council’s first following his arrests – Keith asked to speak at the outset and repeatedly apologized to constituents, council colleagues and city hall employees for the attention brought upon himself. He did not discuss the charges.

After making that four-minute statement, Keith left the meeting and business was conducted in his absence.

At the next meeting on Feb. 23, Keith’s travel request died without a second on his motion while identical travel requests for two other councilmen were approved. But those councilmen, Bill Kling and David Little, had enough money in their travel budget to cover the $2,100 request.

Council President John Meredith suggested to Keith during the meeting that he could take money from his district fund and apply to the trip expenses. Keith said after the meeting he would not do that.

Moments before arriving at the travel agenda items, Meredith announced he was removing Keith as chair of the council’s finance committee. Meredith declined to given an explanation for the move during the meeting and would not comment after the meeting when asked by AL.com.