Town

WALLOWA — Long-time Councilman Joe Town submitted his letter of resignation to the Wallowa City Council at its meeting Tuesday, Nov. 16, citing health reasons.

His letter stated that he wished to step down as council president effective immediately and as a councilman Dec. 31.

“I talked with Joe this afternoon,” Mayor Gary Hulse said. “He would like to step down as president of the city council. He is planning on resigning at a later date to give us time to get signatures. He resigned as president of the council effective today. We will have to elect a new president of the council.”

With Town and Councilor Karen Josi absent, only Hulse and Councilors Scott McCrae and Oran McCrae were present to vote. Scott McCrae was elected the new council president.

In another matter as the Christmas season approaches, the council decided the city should hold a Christmas lighting contest with cash prizes in residential and business categories.

City Administrator Carolyn Harshfield said she has heard talk around town suggesting such a contest would be a positive influence on Wallowa.

“There was a discussion among several people about morale and maybe picking up our town and making it look a little happy and to do a Christmas lighting contest,” she said. “But you guys have to decide if the city wants to do it, if we want to have cash prizes and if the city does it, would you exclude anybody affiliated with the city — that was brought up to me by two different people, today. We know what happens around the Fourth of July that people think that stuff is rigged so it might be better if anybody affiliated with the city couldn’t be in the contest.”

She said she had looked over the economic development budget and the city can spare $900 for prize money. She suggested three residential prizes, at $300 for first, $200 for second and $100 for third. She also suggested two prizes for businesses at $200 for first and $100 for second.

Hulse said he agreed council members and city employees should be excluded from winning prizes, but he’d like to have someone else take over sponsorship of the contest in future years so city employees don’t have to be excluded.

Scott McCrae wasn’t so sure that would work.

“Whoever runs it is going to be accused of favoritism,” he said.

The council approved the $900 expenditure with city employees excluded. Judging will take place in the early evening of Wednesday, Dec. 15.