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

Elgin City Councilors, from left, Suzanne Hanson, Willie Williams and John Stover all resigned Tuesday night. They are among six Elgin city councilors who stepped down. - The Observer/DICK MASON

Six of the Elgin City Council’s seven members submitted their resignations Tuesday, citing problems created by new ethics reporting requirements as the reason. The resignations are effective April 14, the day before the reporting deadline.

Pat McMullen, who was out of town, is the lone councilor who has not resigned. McMullen has not indicated whether or not he will resign. 

Councilor Sue Moore said Tuesday it is unfair that councilors be expected to fill out the ethics reporting forms because of the personal information they request.

“I’m not filling out the forms (required under the new ethics reporting requirements). This is a violation of my civil rights and an invasion my privacy,’’ Moore said. “I thought I lived in America where I had a right to privacy.’’

Councilor Willie Williams is upset because the new ethics requirements would require him to report personal information about family members.

“That is nobody else’s business. You can tell anything you want about me. It is everyone else (his family members) I’m worried about,’’ Williams said.

He noted that he is worried that the state intends to put ethics reporting information on the Internet beginning in 2010.

“I don’t want information about my family spread all over the Internet,’’ Williams said.

With the reporting deadline approaching, Northeast Oregon has seen a rash of resignations like those submitted on Tuesday in Elgin. The entire Elgin Planning Commission quit March 21. The Enterprise Planning Commission no longer has a quorum because of resignations. On Monday three North Powder city councilors and its city recorder quit.

Passed in 1974, the Oregon Government Ethics Law requires elected officials, planners, administrators and managers, and others to file an annual Statement of Economic Interest. The law also asks for quarterly reports.

A total of 97 of Oregon’s 240 cities and six of its 36 counties were exempt from the filing rule until last year. Then the state Legislature amended the law to include them. The communities were exempt because their citizens had voted against having the ethics reporting requirement apply to them.

Communities now affected by the law which had not been include Elgin, Enterprise, North Powder, Cove, Imbler, Island City, Joseph, Lostine and Wallowa.

In addition, Moore and Williams, Mayor Carmen Gentry, Suzanne Hansen, Lisa Garcia and John Stover also resigned Tuesday.

“I feel sick,’’ said Gentry, moved to tears after submitting her resignation.

Gentry and Garcia said they did not want to but were willing to submit the ethics reports. However, they stepped down because the wording of the city’s charter and state law makes it easier for the council to be replaced if all members resign rather than just enough to give it less than a quorum.

Elgin City Recorder Joe Garlitz explained that if the council is left with less than four members, those remaining must conduct an election to fill the vacant positions. However, if everyone resigns, the Union County Board of Commissioners will appoint enough councilors to form a quorum. The appointed council would then operate until an election is held to select new councilors.

Garlitz said that it would be far easier for Elgin to re-establish a council if everyone resigns, requiring the Union County Board of Commissioners to appoint a quorum. Gentry said she is stepping down to help the process.

“I had to resign the expedite the process (of getting a new council in place),’’ Gentry said. “Hopefully I will be reappointed as mayor.’’

A complicating factor is McMullen, the lone member who has not resigned. Should he resign, the commissioners will make appointments. If McMullen does not resign, he will be responsible for conducting an election for new councilors.

Garlitz, like the councilors, is very disturbed about the reporting requirements. He compares the 97 communities now being required to submit to the reporting requirement to frogs being dropped in boiling water and jumping out.

“They have never seen this before and have an instinctive understanding that this is wrong,’’ Garlitz said.

Garlitz said he is so upset with the reporting requirement, which also applies to city recorders, that he also is considering resigning. He said that if he does resign, it would not be now, though, because the city would have a difficult time function day to day without a council and a recorder.

The situation is taking a toll on Garlitz, he said.

“The past two weeks have been very stressful, the most stressful in the 20 years I’ve had this job,’’ Garlitz said.

Union County Commissioner Steve McClure said this morning said the county will consult with its attorney before taking any action. He said the commission will proceed with “due diligence.’’