by Jeff McAdam
WEST JORDAN, Utah -- The West Jordan City Council Meeting heated up quickly Tuesday evening as talks of diminishing Mayor Kim Rolf's duties and salary began. City Council members first brought up the discussion of changing the Mayor's role two weeks ago at a previous meeting; however, those talks were tabled until Tuesday night.
In a move to try and block those discussions from taking place, Mayor Rolf filed a temporary restraining order Monday afternoon. A Judge, however, blocked that motion Tuesday, thus allowing the discussions to proceed at the Council meeting Tuesday night.
But a vote on the Mayor's position never came. Speaking in turn, Councilmember Ben Southworth, "request[ed] that the item be tabled to a date yet uncertain."
"I feel like City Council is stalling," said Julie Dole, a concerned West Jordan resident. "They are going to keep pushing it off the agenda until we stop showing up," Dole added.
Dole is against a change in the Mayor's job responsibility and pay. She believes the Mayor's position is a full-time role, and should not be diminished to a part-time, part-rate responsibility.
She wasn't alone.
“We elected a Mayor, leave him alone, " said another resident. "If you want him out, it can happen next election.”
Councilman Chad Nichols was in support of tabling the talks, but only to clarify the legal measures behind such a move. Dole suggests that the City Council can't alter the Mayor's role as predicated in a 1977 State Code.
The City Council meeting also detailed the latest rifts between certain members of the Council and the Mayor himself. At one point, Councilmen Chris McConnehey called for a mediator, claiming that was the only solution to a growing divide that's become increasing, and apparent.
