Resident demands adminstrator’s, attorney’s resignations

By SUSAN BERG

Managing editor

Marion City Councilman Bill Holdeman was out of town when the council met March 12 in special session to discuss actions of Mayor Mary Olson.

“Who called that meeting?” Holdeman asked.

Councilman Gene Winkler responded that he did “for damage control.”

“It takes three council members or the mayor to call a special meeting,” Holdeman said. “I believe this was a power play before an election.”

At the special meeting, City Attorney Dan Baldwin called for an investigation of the mayor by the Kansas Attorney General’s office related to possible “maliciously circulating rumors regarding financial status” in violation of K.S.A. 21-4005.

Later in the meeting, during public forum, Marion resident Roger Schwab addressed the council.

He also cited that the special meeting did not follow state statute or the city ordinance that allows the mayor or three council members to call a special meeting.

As a teacher at Marion High School, Schwab said he has had a hard time explaining the situation to his students.

“This is embarrassing to our students,” Schwab said. “They ask ‘Why is it they (the city) can violate the law and we can’t?’”

According to the city’s Web site, the administrator is responsible for ensuring that all laws and ordinances are faithfully executed. Also on the Web site is a description of the city attorney’s role in city government, which is to be the council’s legal adviser and representative of legal affairs for the city. The attorney is to provide timely, reliable, and professional legal services to the city; prosecute traffic infractions and misdemeanors that occur within the city limits; and prepare and review legal documents for the city.

“The city administrator is responsible for putting this together,” he said.

Schwab continued that he resigned from Marion Planning Commission when he was asked by the council to approve a conditional use permit that didn’t meet the city’s regulations and was concerned about the city and the council not following the city’s regulations.

“We’ve got some problems here,” he said.

Schwab said he was told to leave town if he didn’t like the way things were run. Therefore, he is.

“I am very happy here with the school district and would stay to continue to teach in Marion,” he said, but he said his house is for sale.

“I demand the immediate termination of City Administrator David Mayfield and City Attorney Dan Baldwin,” Schwab said.