Baxter Springs to revisit policy on employee candidacies later

July 22, 2008 10:48 pm

— By Roger McKinney
rmckinney@joplinglobe.com
BAXTER SPRINGS, Kan. — When the Baxter Springs City Council revisits its policy on city employees who are running for office sometime after the November election, it will consider a provision to notify employees of the policy, said Councilman Ed McAfee.
For now, the policy will continue to be ignored.
McAfee on Tuesday provided council members with information about the recommendation of the city personnel committee, of which he is chairman.
The policy, adopted in 1996, states that city employees who are running for public office must either resign their city position or take a leave of absence. The council two weeks ago defeated a motion by Councilman Larry Warner to enforce the policy, and the issue was referred to the personnel committee.
City Court Clerk Rodney Edmondson, who is a Cherokee County commissioner, is running for county clerk. Police patrol officer David Groves is running for sheriff. Edmondson said previously that the policy wasn’t enforced when he ran for County Commission, nor was it enforced when then-water department employee Pat Collins ran for County Commission, or when police patrol officer Bob Creech ran for sheriff.
Edmondson said such a policy would place a hardship on some candidates who may be qualified for elective offices.
McAfee said the committee will recommend changes in the policy, to take effect starting next year. He said after the meeting that the changes would include making the policy apply only to paid elected positions. He said another change would be to issue a memo to all current and new city employees informing them of the policy.
In other business Tuesday, the council:
Accepted bids totaling $19,960 from three companies to replace the roofs on City Hall, the city pool building and several other city buildings that were damaged in May by hail.
Paid bills and payroll totaling $317,173.
Bought a new sound system for City Hall at a cost of $6,936 from Total Electronics Contracting, Joplin, Mo.

Resignation

The Baxter Springs City Council on Tuesday night accepted the resignation of Councilman Cory Moates, who is moving outside the city.