BRENDA ARMSTRONG - North County Staff | Posted: Wednesday, August 16, 2006 11:00 pm
Pleasant Grove city employees can still run for City Council.
During the past several weeks, council members, two of whom work for the city, have debated a resolution that would have ultimately prohibited elected officials from working full-time for the city.
But on Tuesday night, the discussions were short and the council voted against the change that would have affected councilmen Mark Atwood and Darold McDade running for re-election.
Councilman Bruce Call cast the decisive vote against the resolution, siding with Atwood and McDade to make it 3-2.
Call said that he has not taken this issue lightly and has spent every waking moment researching the issue. Call's vote to deny the motion assured that for the time being, any employee within the city will still be able to run for public office in Pleasant Grove.
"I have talked to residents, employees of the city and supervisors," Call said. "I think land developers, real estate agents and title adjusters are more likely to have conflicts of interest, and yet they are allowed to run for office without scrutiny. It is my belief that we all have the potential for a conflict of interest, but awkwardness in the workplace does not warrant enough harm to exclude 150 people from their right to run for public office."
Councilman Lee Jensen said the issue has been discussed for years at the city and was not aimed at Atwood, who was recently hired to work full-time for the city's public works department, or McDade, who is employed by the recreation department on a part-time basis.
Atwood said working for the city has made him a better council member.
"I just don't see the harm in it," Atwood said. "I know more of what's going on now in the first month of my employment with the city than I have in the four years I have been sitting on the council. I am standing on the streets and roads we approve, meeting citizens, and am helping defuse any concerns the public may have on a daily basis."
Councilwoman Cindy Boyd initially made a motion to approve the resolution, adding that part-time permanent employees should also be subject to the same terms as full-time employees.
"This has been one of the more difficult things that this group has had to face," Boyd said. "I am not trying to pinpoint anyone, and do have emotions about it and who it affects after tonight. It all just boils down to the fact that this resolution is looking out for the future benefit of the city."
Jeff Wilson, who was defeated in the last election by Councilman Bruce Call, addressed the council and asked them to reject the resolution. Wilson, who has been a police officer for Pleasant Grove for the past 25 years, said he felt the action was taken against him.
"I gave up things like applying for promotions because I did not want any conflict of interest," said Wilson. "The public knew who I was and I didn't have anything to hide. I ran for office because voices were not being heard and it was my time to represent Pleasant Grove."
This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page B12.