>La Grande Observer | Union and Wallowa Counties' News Leader

Another local government was bereft of personnel at the end of this week, as three remaining North Powder City Councilors resigned their posts over state-mandated ethics-reporting requirements.

Jerry Hansen, Carolyn Flynn and Aaron Umpleby all gave up their non-paid volunteer positions,  joining Councilors Gary Willitts, Lloyd Bigler and Carrie Crook who resigned during the regular session Monday.

Sue Harris, the city recorder, also announced her resignation Monday. Mayor Bonita Hebert stayed on, but she can’t conduct city business alone.

Hebert said she is talking with Union County officials to determine the next steps.

“Our city charter doesn’t address a mass resignation,” she said.  “I think the (county  board of commissioners) will come in and appoint a quorum.”

The resignations of Bigler, Umpleby and Harris are effective April 14, the day before the ethics-reporting deadline. Hansen, Crook and Flynn all made their resignations “effective immediately.”

North Powder is one of several Northeast Oregon cities to have seen resignations of councilors and planning commissioners because of new reporting requirements in the Oregon Ethics Law.

As amended last year, the law requires officials throughout Oregon to fill out annual statements of economic interest, plus quarterly reports. Before, some 97 communities and six counties were exempt from reporting.

Officials taking part in the mass resignation protest have said the requirements amount to an invasion of privacy, primarily because the forms ask for information about family members and relatives.

An online reporting system is due to be implemented in 2009, and the officials fear their family information will be posted to the Internet.

Tuesday, six of seven Elgin city councilors gave up their positions as of April 14. Earlier, the entire Elgin Planning Commission resigned.

Also Tuesday, five Summerville city councilors quit, leaving that city government without a quorum.

In Enterprise, the planning commission was left without a quorum after a majority quit, effective April 14.

Also this week, Imbler City Councilor Debra Sturtevant resigned. Imbler City Recorder Ruth Zemke said Sturtevant  quit because she had family members who did not want information about themselves disclosed to the state.

In North Powder, Hebert said she plans to stay on and help the city through the crisis.

“It’s been a crazy time for me, with all these challenges,” she said. “I’m not going to quit. I’m going to try to figure out what to do. I think I can do the city some good.”