Councilman will introduce a resolution Monday calling for lame-duck Stacee Sellers to resign
By Marissa Harshman
Columbian staff writer
Washougal Mayor Stacee Sellers’ departure from office in January may not be soon enough for some. The city council, which is trying to move forward following a critical state audit, may ask her to step down immediately.
Councilman Jon Russell will ask the city council at its meeting Monday to approve a motion calling for Sellers’ resignation. He’s also asked the city’s attorney to research whether Sellers could be impeached, should she refuse to resign.
“It’s in the best interest of the city that she just go away at this point,” Russell said.
Sellers did not respond to The Columbian’s request for comment. In an e-mail Sellers sent city staff and council members last week, the one-term mayor explained what she intends to do during the remaining weeks of her term.
“I will spend the next two months to work through the issues documented during the audit and begin to establish processes that will prevent future accounting errors and oversights such as those that occurred during the past year so that our new mayor can begin his term with progress in mind,” Sellers wrote.
Russell told the council of his intentions at a workshop Monday evening. Sellers did not attend the meeting. The seven-member council was notified at the meeting that the mayor was out of town, Councilwoman Jennifer McDaniel said.
Councilman Michael Delavar did not attend the meeting but wrote a letter in support of the resolution. None of the other council members spoke in favor of or against the resolution, Russell said.
“I would think with some of her supporters on the council, they would have spoken out if they were against it,” Russell said.
Molly Coston, Rod Morris and Paul Greenlee were not available Tuesday afternoon for comment.
When the council approved a resolution on Oct. 30 to censure Sellers, Morris said he was against any stronger action. At the same meeting, Coston, who introduced the censure resolution, said she felt the council members needed to weigh all of the information before making a decision they could regret. Greenlee left the meeting prior to casting a vote.
McDaniel did not want to comment on the resolution Tuesday afternoon.
“I’m currently undecided at this point, as far as how I would vote if it does come before the council,” she said.
Should Sellers resign or be removed from office, Mayor Pro Tem Coston would assume the position until Mayor-elect Sean Guard takes office in January. Guard garnered 72 percent of the vote in the Nov. 3 election to defeat Sellers.
Without Sellers as a distraction, Russell said the council could focus on balancing the city budget for the coming year. He said the council needs transparency and to be able to trust city administration.
“For the mayor to just take off a week after the election, when we’re in the middle of the budget preparations and not tell anyone where she’s going … there’s no sense for her to stay on,” Russell said.
Because the city has not hired a new administrator and Sellers has not been available, the city is currently lacking leadership, he said.
Some city staff members have begun contacting Guard for direction because Sellers has not responded to their inquiries, Guard said. Sellers has not responded to Guard’s messages either, he said.
“I think we’re finding the epitome of the definition of lame duck,” Guard said.
Guard said he was not involved in the decision to ask for Sellers’ resignation. If Sellers does step down, it would positively impact his transition into office and the council’s efforts to move the city forward, Guard said.
“I think there are an awful lot of folks in the community who would just as soon see her take the high road and do what’s best for the community,” he said. “If the last week or 10 days is any indication, it’s going to be a long six or seven weeks.”
In addition to the resignation vote, the city council will hold an executive session Monday. The council will discuss Director of Finance and Economic Development Jeffrey Bivens’ employment contract and the city insurer’s refusal to provide full insurance coverage for Bivens, Russell said. The company declined to provide coverage because the state bar association suspended Bivens’ license to practice law for charging unreasonable fees and dishonest conduct, among other reasons.
The executive session may be followed by council action, Russell said.
Marissa Harshman: 360-735-4546 or marissa.harshman@columbian.com.
