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Gold Hill disbands its police That puts once-embattled chief out of job again By Melissa Martin GOLD HILL � The City Council followed the advice of its insurance company and voted 4-2 Monday to disband the Gold Hill Police Department. As a result, Police Chief Katie Holmboe � newly restored to her job � will be asked to resign. City Council members Scott Eilefson, Mike Hicks, Betsy Hettum and Donna Silva voted in favor of disbanding the police department, while Gus Wolf and Bernadine Howard voted against it. Besides recommending that the city disband its police department, City County Insurance Services also refused to pay Holmboe�s settlement because it ruled that the city was at fault for terminating Holmboe unjustifiably, according to Mayor Tim Roddam. "The insurance company called the police department a liability, but the insurance company is the liability � they are the ones causing high litigation costs and making us pay for it," Roddam said. Meanwhile, the city is scrambling to borrow money from sewer, water and other city funds to cover the estimated $70,000 in Holmboe�s back wages. The council in August 1997 fired Holmboe over an alleged ticket-fixing scandal and complaints that Holmboe prayed for people she was ticketing or arresting. An arbitrator ruled in March that the city violated Holmboe�s right to due process when it refused to provide her with a written statement detailing the charges. The arbitrator also concluded the city lacked just cause for her discharge. Holmboe has been back at work since March, mostly performing the administrative work of re-creating the dormant police department. Holmboe�s successor, David Crawford, has not been on duty since last June after his conviction of misdemeanor crimes. "Katie Holmboe has been getting the department on its feet, restoring our program and bringing in skilled and talented reserves," Roddam said. After Monday�s vote, the City Council will ask Holmboe to resign effective June 30. The mayor, who votes only in case of a tie, said he favors keeping the department with Holmboe as chief. Roddam blames the insurance company for pursuing the case longer than necessary and creating debt for the city: "I don�t believe the past city council authorized the insurance company to follow this litigation suit for 2� years." City Council member Betsy Hettum said she voted to disband the department to save the city money. "It�s a budgetary issue," Hettum said. This river community won�t be without police coverage, however. Jackson County sheriff�s deputies continue to patrol Gold Hill streets. The city has maintained its contract with the sheriff�s department for police coverage, Roddam said. Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA