Ousted Anderson mayor, Kevin Smith, refuses to relinquish power after having lost the most recent mayoral election. He is citing his own challenge to elected mayor, Kris Ockomon’s residency as a basis for serving beyond his elected term.
Look, pal. Unless you have a court order, get the hell out. This is a democracy. It only works when officials relinquish power voluntarily at the end of their terms. If you want to file a court challenge, fine. But unless and until you win an order extending your term, get out. We don’t need to turn into some third world country where leaders make up ad hoc excuses to stay in power.
Suddenly I’ve got the Stones, Street Fighting Man going through my head:
Everywhere I hear the sound of marching, charging feet, boy
cause summer’s here and the time is right for fighting in the street, boy
I hope he doesn’t have any “secret police” running around…
Crazy! Even if the incoming mayor has a residency issue, it isn’t up to the previous mayor to “solve” that problem by remaining in office beyond the limits of his term. Unless he has legal justification–such as a court order–to remain in office, the “mayor” needs to step down.
Many of our former mayor’s ‘supporters’ with an interest in the Mallard Lake landfill know that their ‘investment’ will go the way of all flesh if Ockomon takes his rightful place at the helm. That will mean $millions in promised returns on this under-the-table deal gone and the east coast waste boys will not go quietly.
Mad in Madison: Do you have any idea if the residency of the current mayor was challenged earlier? Why is did the former mayor and his supporters wait so long? It seems to me that there must have been a legitimate and timely way to challenge the residency of the current mayor when he was running for office.
Supposed to say “Why did…” not “Why is did…” in previous post. :(
Pila, you’re being logical. Smith thought he had this thing locked up and then had to grasp at straws to try to keep his office after Ocokomon won. He’s whining about Ockomon’s house rental date but what have your heard him say about the dump that will pollute Anderson’s water? Shhhh! I’m still waiting to hear anything from his administration on that issue. Aside from the ‘annexation’ joke which the residents in Madison County squelched in short order, he’s presented no plans to prevent the dump developers, whoever they are, from winning the battle.