Stanley mayor,
councilman step down
City left with
only two council members
By GREG
STAHL
Express Staff Writer
After a
roller coaster summer, Stanley Mayor Paul Frantillizzi and Councilman
Neil Anderson resigned from their posts, citing "a level of deceit,
hypocrisy, disrespect and incompetence" among their fellow council
members "that we consider intolerable."
The mayor’s
and councilman’s tenures ended Sept. 10 when they submitted their
resignations after a long and reportedly heated council meeting.
The
resignations leave Stanley with only two city council members and an
inability to conduct city council business until the situation is
resolved. That will require a city council appointment by Gov. Dirk
Kemthorne to create a quorum, Assistant Secretary of State Ben Ysursa
said. The city council could then appoint a mayor, and the mayor could
then appoint another city council member, subject to city council
ratification.
Councilman
Bob Downing said Tuesday morning the governor’s office had not yet
been contacted.
At the
Sept. 10 meeting’s end, Frantillizzi read a letter announcing the
resignations, which headed off a November recall election targeting
Frantillizzi.
In the
letter, the pair noted they were proud of their accomplishments, but had
to act "in our own self interest and the interest of our
families."
To that
end, they resigned.
They
noted the majority of citizens probably appreciated their progressive
leadership, even though a small contingent wished to "wrest
power" from the pair’s "visionary charge."
Several
citizens in attendance Sept. 10 expressed their appreciation for
Frantillizzi and Anderson, The Challis Messenger reported.
Late in
August, a recall petition, complete with 24 signatures, was submitted to
Stanley City Clerk Margaret Oveson, and the recall election was slated
for November.
Downing
said he does not wish to aggravate an already inflammatory situation and
declined to comment on the events that led up to the recall attempt. He
confirmed, however, that he signed Frantillizzi’s recall petition.
Both
Frantillizzi and Anderson were elected to two-year terms on the council
at last fall’s general election. When Mayor Hilda Floyd resigned last
spring, Frantillizzi took her seat after a coin toss decided between
himself and Council President Bob Downing.
Not long
after Frantillizzi took office, a petition was circulated asking for his
resignation.
Frantillizzi
and Anderson were not available for comment.