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55 °F Forecast | Road Cams Saturday, February 19, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classifieds Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend February 18, 2005 Hartzell denies role in resignation call By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune ASHLAND — Councilwoman Cate Hartzell said Thursday she never urged a community member to seek Mayor John Morrison’s resignation in the wake of campaign ethics concerns. Hartzell said former school board Chairman John Maurer acted on his own Feb. 1, when he asked Morrison to step down after Morrison’s former employer fined him for using work equipment to create campaign documents. "I was surprised that someone had been bold enough to go to the City Council," Hartzell said, adding later: "I thought it took a lot of guts. Did I agree with it? No." Maurer said he acted after reading Hartzell’s newspaper comments indicating that any questions about Morrison’s behavior would have to come from citizens, not from the City Council. "I said I was ‘effectively here at Cate Hartzell’s request’ " Maurer said. "She did not personally have any conversations with me." Advertisement Earlier news accounts in the Mail Tribune and Ashland Daily Tidings said he acted at Hartzell’s request. Hartzell said she wanted the matter cleared up after she was contacted by several community members. "It was like somehow I was urging people to come forward," Hartzell said. "They were like, ‘God it was really creepy that Cate did that.’ " Hartzell said she believes that the City Council has no role in the matter and that "the venue for any discussion ... is between citizens and elections officials, not the governing bodies." She added that she didn’t want the issue to affect her relationship with the new mayor. "It would not be outside the realm of the ordinary for it to get in the way," she said. Morrison, 60, was fined $2,500 by the Rogue Valley Council of Governments after an employee reported that he had used the public agency’s equipment to campaign. His actions were not a violation of Oregon elections laws. Morrison resigned his position at RVCOG in December, saying he needed more time to attend to duties as mayor. Maurer said he asked Morrison to give up his post in order to maintain the dignity of the mayor’s office. "It really was an issue of ethics and integrity," Maurer said. "It does create a cloud he has to work under." At the Feb. 1 meeting, Morrison declined to resign. He said the matter was a violation of RVCOG policy and that he had been held accountable by the agency and by news coverage of the incident. He said he was ready to put the matter behind him and to continue to perform his duties as mayor, according to meeting minutes. Maurer said he has heard from dozens of people who applauded his request that Morrison resign. No formal complaints have been filed about the issue, City Recorder Barbara Christensen said Wednesday, and Maurer said he does not intend to take the matter further. Morrison did not return a call Thursday seeking comment about the issue. Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers Advertisement s