Officials in limbo over residency
Staff writer
A charter ordinance that would allow Marion city officers to live outside city limits failed on a split vote Monday.
If passed, the ordinance would have permitted two current officers, city administrator Roger Holter and city treasurer Becky Makovec, to remain on the job.
Council members Ruth Herbel and Jerry Kline voted against the ordinance. Susan Gray, Chris Costello, and mayor David Mayfield voted in favor. Four votes were required for approval.
Technically, the city administrator and city treasurer positions now are vacant because Holter and Makovec do not meet residency requirements.
Mayfield directed city attorney Susan Robson to redraft the ordinance, but Robson asked how she was to “fix” it.
“Susan has to come up with something acceptable, otherwise Roger and Becky don’t have jobs,” Herbel said Tuesday. “My point is that we need to try to increase the population of Marion and not decrease it.”
Asked what will happen next, Holter said Mayfield had a Tuesday afternoon meeting with Robson. Holter was excused from the meeting and was not told what was discussed.
Mayfield did not return a call seeking comment for this article.