Moyie council vacancies a strange creature

March 4, 2012

Council vacancies in Moyie are a strange creature with laws and rules of their own it seems. In June of 2011, former Moyie Springs councilman Geoff Hollenbeck was stripped of his fire pay. "Discussed Geoff Hollenbeck fire pay. The council said not to pay him - he is working out of town, but to keep him on the Blue Cross insurance for the time being." Future minutes make no mention of him in attendance or not, up until a letter of resignation is read by the mayor in October, 2011, which stated his resignation was effective June, 2011. So for four months city council and employees were aware of a vacancy but the voters were not. Seems to me to be a violation of IC 59-902. Did he keep his council pay, Costco card, health insurance, retirement and other perks during those four months? Why weren't voters made aware? So now the council and city attorney are drafting an ordinance so they can fire a fellow council member and replace that member with one of their choosing. Will that ordinance also provide for firing a council member who no longer physically resides within the city limits (IC 59-901), or only the elected member who is working out of town, or any member they deem unfit? It may be again argued by employees and council that they were unaware of the law. Seems to me they just prefer to ignore the law and due process.

Rosanne Smith Moyie Springs