By KATU Web Staff
ARLINGTON, Ore. - The mayor of a small Oregon town who came under fire for racy pictures of her posted on the Internet was recalled in a close vote Monday.
According to the person who spearheaded the recall drive, Ron Miller, the vote was 142 in favor and 139 against the recall of Mayor Carmen Kontur-Gronquist.
She came under fire after she posted photos of herself posed in lingerie on a fire truck on her MySpace page.
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She told KATU News Tuesday that she had no regrets about posting the photo online, and she seemed to harbor no hard feelings about the recall.
"My reaction is that the democratic process took place, and that is a good process that we have in the United States, and it's fair," she said.
There are 366 registered voters in Arlington. Dozens of them held meetings and organized after the photo was publicized, and many participated in Monday night's recall vote.
But the voters weren't really just angry about the picture, some said.
Miller said the recall vote was also about some of her decisions as mayor of the small town, located along Interstate 84 between The Dalles and Pendleton in the Columbia River Gorge. That included her management of the city golf course, where she eliminated two positions during the fall and winter. That apparently did not sit well with some of the big golfers in town.
He said Gronquist will leave office immediately.
The Arlington City Council President will take over as mayor until a new mayor is selected.
As for Gronquist, she said she is selling a poster of herself on eBay. A portion of the proceeds, she said, will go to the Arlington city ambulance company.
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Those Fun Mayors
By Liz Neely
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
February 27, 2008
La Mesa Mayor Art Madrid told a City Council audience last night that an incident last week where police found him and a city employee apparently intoxicated on a city street was “unfortunate,” and he promised it would never happen again.
La Mesa Mayor Art Madrid tried to quiet the audience yesterday as some residents called for his resignation. Police found Madrid and a city worker apparently drunk last week and took them home without testing their sobriety.
The mayor didn't comment further, even as some residents criticized his behavior and called for his resignation. One man said he would mount a recall campaign.
Meanwhile, the council voted unanimously to hold a special meeting tomorrow to discuss what happened last week.
La Mesa police responded to a 911 call from a resident about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday and found Madrid and city finance department employee Trisha Turner – both apparently intoxicated – in the mayor's Eastridge neighborhood.
Madrid was lying on the sidewalk near the passenger side of his Ford Explorer. Turner was in the driver's seat, her feet pointed out the open door. Vomit was observed around the SUV.
Police said that when they arrived at Chicago Drive near Denver Drive, the SUV was parked. Officers did not give Madrid or Turner sobriety tests. Instead, Officers Dan Herrin and Jacob Whisler drove the pair to Madrid's home, about a block away on Eastridge Drive.
Police Chief Alan Lanning said the officers followed the law, and Madrid and Turner did not receive special treatment. The officers did not know who Madrid was when they arrived. In response to questions, Madrid told them his wallet was in the pocket of the Explorer's passenger door. When they saw his identification, they realized that he was the mayor and they were about a block from his home, Lanning said.
Turner has not returned calls and messages seeking comment. Madrid has declined to discuss the incident in detail.
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
February 27, 2008
La Mesa Mayor Art Madrid told a City Council audience last night that an incident last week where police found him and a city employee apparently intoxicated on a city street was “unfortunate,” and he promised it would never happen again.
La Mesa Mayor Art Madrid tried to quiet the audience yesterday as some residents called for his resignation. Police found Madrid and a city worker apparently drunk last week and took them home without testing their sobriety.
The mayor didn't comment further, even as some residents criticized his behavior and called for his resignation. One man said he would mount a recall campaign.
Meanwhile, the council voted unanimously to hold a special meeting tomorrow to discuss what happened last week.
La Mesa police responded to a 911 call from a resident about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday and found Madrid and city finance department employee Trisha Turner – both apparently intoxicated – in the mayor's Eastridge neighborhood.
Madrid was lying on the sidewalk near the passenger side of his Ford Explorer. Turner was in the driver's seat, her feet pointed out the open door. Vomit was observed around the SUV.
Police said that when they arrived at Chicago Drive near Denver Drive, the SUV was parked. Officers did not give Madrid or Turner sobriety tests. Instead, Officers Dan Herrin and Jacob Whisler drove the pair to Madrid's home, about a block away on Eastridge Drive.
Police Chief Alan Lanning said the officers followed the law, and Madrid and Turner did not receive special treatment. The officers did not know who Madrid was when they arrived. In response to questions, Madrid told them his wallet was in the pocket of the Explorer's passenger door. When they saw his identification, they realized that he was the mayor and they were about a block from his home, Lanning said.
Turner has not returned calls and messages seeking comment. Madrid has declined to discuss the incident in detail.