A Mitchell City Council member is questioning a push to re-call Mayor Jerry Toomey. Resident Brad Bowling is leading a petition drive for a re-call election accusing the Mayor of “gross incompetence and drunkenness. Ward One Councilor Mel Olson doesn’t see it that way. “Now you certainly can think the Mayor has made some wrong decisions, and I have thought that on occasion,” said Olson. “and you can certainly disagree with some of his decisions, and I’ve disagreed with some on occasion. But I don’t think you can make the case that the Mayor is incompetent, so I don’t think that charge rises to the level of a recall.”
Regarding Bowling’s drunkenness claim, Olson is unsure whether being under the influence of alcohol on your own time, separate from city functions, on one day rises to the level of drunkenness. “Usually to recall a public official for drunkenness, you have to have an incident that takes place at an official meeting, like a city council meeting, or takes place during the work day, say at a staff meeting, or something like that,” Olson said.
Olson doesn’t think any of Mayor Toomey’s actions, even if the negative connotations are accepted as the truth, rises to the level of a recall.
He says the Mayoral election is just over a year away. Olson says that’s the appropriate time for voters to make a decision regarding Mayor Jerry Toomey. The Mayor has already stated he won’t seek another term.
J.P. Skelly
