A contentious three-hour meeting of Whitehall City Council ended late Tuesday night without a firm date set for a recall election for the mayor and two members of city council.
Mayor Michael Bivens spoke out against the recall during Tuesday's meeting, saying "leadership means making thoughtful decisions for long-term impact, even when it's not always popular. But every decision I've made and continue to make for this city is grounded off of my heart and my belief of what's best for the entire community of the city of Whitehall and not special interests."
A few moments later, Bivens was cut off by council members and asked members of the media in attendance if they'd like to hear him finish his statement. He then stood up and left the meeting.
Several city council members were heard asking what was going on and questioned the mayor's decision to leave in the middle of the meeting. Bivens would later return, but council still did not agree to a date.
Council member Lori Elmore, one of two up for a potential recall, also spoke during the meeting, adding, "I'm just going to do my due diligence to make sure that Whitehall is a better place than when I found it." The second council member up for recall, Amy Harcar, was not present at Tuesday's meeting.
The city attorney informed council that they are required, per city charter, to move forward with the recall election and set a date. It needs to occur within a certain timeframe. If they fail to pick a date soon, the city attorney will need to take legal action against council to force them to do so.
