Brier mayor refuses to resign

Published 9:00 pm Wednesday, May 25, 2005

BRIER – They demanded. They begged. The City Council voted “no confidence,” and the entire parks board resigned.

Still, Brier Mayor Gary Starks listened stoically and refused to quit.

About 100 people crowded into the city’s new, 49-person capacity City Council chambers Tuesday night, with a majority speaking out against Starks.

“All of us are here because of you. These people are all (upset), and it’s only going to get worse, and it’s not going to go away,” resident Kim Smith said. “It’s simple. You have a two-step process here: Hire Paula back and step down.”

Starks fired Paula Swisher, the city clerk-treasurer, two weeks ago. She was the 12th employee to leave Brier since Starks was appointed mayor in October 2003. A majority of the people who quit said they left because of how Starks berated or intimidated them.

The five council members at the Tuesday meeting unanimously voted no confidence in Starks and demanded that he resign.

Councilwoman Sasha Doolittle said while the council can’t fire the mayor, “it is important that the City Council make this motion of no confidence because it acknowledges all of what these people have said, and it shows the City Council isn’t accepting of it.”

A former longtime Brier mayor, Wayne Kaske, also asked Starks to step down. “You’re my biggest disappointment,” he said. “I supported you at first, but all you’ve done is dump on people.”

Parks board members talked of how Starks’ administration has not taken responsibility for work left undone in parks, the library and more. They then individually resigned.

Suggestions were made for a recall vote, for stopping Starks’ pay or changing his duties and authority. Assistant City Attorney Darrel Johnson said such changes wouldn’t take effect immediately, and a recall vote would likely coincide with the November election, when the mayor’s position will be on the ballot.

Although many speakers challenged Starks to respond, he spoke sparingly. “I’ve listened to those people who have spoken. It’s a difficult job” being mayor, he said.

People in the audience pressed him. “How can you stay?” “Why don’t you just leave?”

Starks responded: “I took a commitment and an oath, and I plan to finish it.”