March 9, 2023 |
Photo – Rawlins City Hall – Bigfoot99 file photo
Mayor Terry Weickum survived two attempts to unseat him at Tuesday night’s Rawlins City Council meeting.
The meeting had just begun, in a sparsely populated chamber, when new Councilwoman Tonya Lewman attempted to bring a motion to revote for Mayor. Lewman’s motion was rebuffed, by Vice Mayor Steve Sanger, as out of order.
Lewman was not seated, at the first council meeting of the year, when Weickum was elected mayor by the council. She had left the chamber, without taking the taking the oath of office, after reading a letter aloud about an illegal campaign contribution that she had accepted, but later returned, when it became public knowledge. Several weeks later, she was sworn in, by a notary, who is the husband of the attorney representing the company that gave the campaign contribution.
No one from city hall has ever provided an official explanation about the confusion surrounding the controversy involving Lewman.
Following Lewman’s failed attempt to trigger a new vote for mayor, Councilman Darril Garner, who has recused himself from previous council votes involving the company that provided the campaign contribution to Lewman, made a motion and then withdrew it, to play some audio. Garner suggested the audio would portray Mayor Weickum in an unfavorable light.
Then, in an uncomfortable exchange, Vice Mayor Sanger asked Councilman Garner, pointedly, what was the purpose of playing the recordings.
Garner then changed his motion, to a vote of “no confidence”, on the Mayor. Councilwoman Lewman, who had seconded the motion to play the audio, accepted the withdrawal of the motion. Lewman then seconded the motion for the vote of “no confidence”.
Councilwoman Jacqueline Wells called the awkward drama, unfolding in the chamber, as “unprecedented.” Wells asked for legal advice on what a vote of “no confidence” would mean. City Attorney Gwendolyn Wade said an action item, like a vote of “no confidence”, could not be added to the agenda without notice. Wade added the council could discuss a vote of “no confidence” at the meeting, but they could not take action.
Councilman Garner changed his motion again, to conform with Roberts Rules of Order, and Lewman seconded the change. Councilwoman Wells, again, asked for legal clarification. Attorney Wade replied that a ‘no confidence’ vote would open the door to a new vote for Mayor.
The matter, to discuss the vote of “no confidence” on the Mayor, went to a vote where it failed.
The council moved onto other business after the failed vote to unseat Weickum.
About an hour later, in the meeting, Councilman Garner tried, again, to play the audio file that he had failed to present earlier. When the playback from his smartphone failed, the Councilman described what the audio file contained. The audio is posted to a Rawlins-related social media platform.
The City Attorney agreed with the Mayor. Wade said the issue had been investigated, subject to a legal review, and set aside. The Attorney added the audio had no relevance to public business.
The contents of the secretly recorded audio depict Weickum recount, with braggadocio, a story he has told to countless people over the last few years. The story is about a confrontation he had with a Rawlins police officer, over a matter involving his son. No crime was committed, or even attempted, during the contact between the officer and Weickum.
Councilman Garner forged ahead with another charge of an alleged ethics violation against Weickum.
City Attorney Wade shut down Garner’s attempt to bring the matter before council. Wade advised Garner to hire an attorney and bring the complaint to an executive session, since it was a personal and not a public matter.
Council then moved to go into executive session.
