By Mary Owen
Email messages from two city officials have added fuel to a fire heating up over an effort to recall Stayton Councilor James Loftus.
The latest ruffle in an ongoing rift between Loftus and his fellow council members was over allegedly heated words spoken at the May 17 council meeting.
Mayor Gerry Aboud said the verbal attack came in the wake of his decision not to let Loftus participate via speaker phone at the May 3 council meeting.
“Since we were going to have a quorum that night, I told Don (Eubank) not to do the phone connection,” Aboud said. “As chair of the meeting, it was my right to make that decision.”
According to Aboud, Loftus confronted City Administrator Don Eubank at next meeting for not following through with his request.
“I stepped in saying his tack was not appropriate, and he could attack me instead of Don,” Aboud said. “I then adjourned the meeting. Loftus continued his verbal barrage against me and I walked away.”
Loftus’ delivery style spurred Aboud to ask him via e-mail the following day to be “polite, civil and constructive” with his criticism.
Loftus, who was called on allegedly making derogatory remarks about city councilors and city staff at earlier council meetings, declined to talk to Our Town about the issue.
Because of Loftus’ actions, the city council had by motion implemented a policy on how to present complaints in a civil and professional manner, according to Aboud.
“You have violated that policy and obviously are not willing to work with the council or staff,” he wrote in his e-mail.
Loftus has been asked several times to desist from behavior detrimental to his role as city councilor, but according to several city officials, has not followed the suggestions.
A petition to recall Loftus was started by Stayton resident Jack Fiske, who is gathering signatures to meet the June 15 filing deadline required by Marion County. “I’m a few short, but I’m sure I’ll get them on time,” Fiske said.
Meanwhile, Aboud asked Loftus to respect the staff and his fellow councilors, desisting in “further behavior that is detrimental to the council/staff relations and detrimental to the community as a whole.”
On May 19, Councilor Don Walters followed Aboud’s e-mail to Loftus with one of his own – a plea for Loftus to change his manner of communicating and fully join with other councilors in “accomplishing what needs done.”
“There have been a lot of things said and a lot of things done on council that I wished had never happened, but we can’t change the past,” he wrote. “The future we can change.
“We need you,” Walters added. “The citizens of Stayton need you. Please rejoin us at the table and let us all work courteously together.”
Walters told Loftus his insight was important to council decisions, and encouraged him to “rejoin us at the table.”
“Please, let us build bridges, not battlements,” Walters said.
