JANUARY 7, 2025|
Photo – Rawlins City Council – Courtesy City of Rawlins
The outgoing mayor of Rawlins offered some friendly advice to the new council members last week. “Learn as much as possible and work as a team,” outgoing Mayor Terry Weickum advised.
On Thursday, January 2nd, the current governing body of Rawlins held a special work session for the two incoming council members. Ward One residents voted for Derek Elliott to replace Terry Weickum on the council. The outgoing mayor chose not to run for reelection last year. In Ward Three, Terry Patterson will take the seat occupied by Chris Weisenburg.
Following a briefing on the legal responsibilities of serving on the city council by City Attorney Pinita Maberry-Nave, Mayor Weickum shared some words of wisdom learned from his time on the governing body.
Unlike most municipalities where residents vote directly for mayor, Rawlins operates under a different form government, where residents elect their ward representatives, and the city council selects one of their members to serve as mayor. In Wyoming, only Rawlins, Casper, and Laramie use this type of government.
Weickum said the mayor’s primary responsibility is to ensure that all public meetings adhere to established parliamentary procedure.
Because city ordinances do not specify what guidelines public meetings must follow, Mayor Weickum said the council can choose to adopt Robert’s Rules of Law instead of the easier to follow parliamentary procedures. However, the outgoing mayor warned that the more comprehensive Robert’s Rules leaves the council open to legal reprisals or public embarrassment.
Mayor Weickum said he prefers the way Rawlins city council meetings are held. Unlike in Laramie, where council discussion is limited, in Rawlins, votes can be debated for a longer time, which the mayor said leads to better governance.
Mayor Weickum said that by using less restrictive parliamentary procedures instead of Robert’s Rules of Order, the council may limit its exposure to lawsuits. Additionally, the outgoing mayor explained that city council meetings are intended for addressing municipal affairs. Personal complaints should be brought directly to the individual council members.
Mayor Weickum encouraged the new council members to attend the upcoming Wyoming Association of Municipalities bootcamp, held from January 22nd to the 24th. The mayor stated that WAM, as it is known, is an invaluable resource for learning effective governance.
The mayor is also responsible for approving meeting agendas. Mayor Weickum said that he does not personally write the agenda. This task falls to City Clerk Lynn Shearer, who also gathers all supporting documents and suggests appropriate actions for the council to consider.
Mayor Weickum explained that state law requires the mayor to ensure that the agenda does not contain anything that may open the city to legal action. However, the council may vote to overrule the mayor’s decision to exclude an item from the agenda.
Mayor Weickum said over the course of 2024, he personally attended 122 meetings. The mayor encouraged the new council members to take advantage of every learning opportunity, as the information may help the new mayor make informed decisions.
Mayor Weickum said the council must work as a team to provide direction to Municipal Judge H. Michael Bennett, City Manager Tom Sarvey, and City Attorney Pinita Maberry-Nave. The outgoing mayor explained that those officials work for the entire council, not the individual members.
Mayor Weickum’s final advice to the incoming council members was to avoid being swayed by the vocal minority and to prioritize decisions that benefit the entire city.
Councilmembers Derek Elliott and Terry Patterson will be sworn in during tonight’s city council meeting. Afterwards, a new mayor and vice mayor will be selected from among the sitting council members.
