On Wednesday, October 15, the Missoula City Council will meet to discuss an ordinance designed to extend the authority granted to Mayor John Engen to pursue the condemnation against Mountain Water Company. Part of the extension will include the ability for the mayor to contract legal help in the case.

In the eyes of City Councilman Adam Hertz, this request is long overdue.

"In my opinion the Mayor has been exceeding the authority that was granted to him in 2013, and has been operating outside the bounds of that ordinance," Hertz said. "The Mayor is coming to city council asking for city council to grant him some additional authorization in that ordinance, but really,  he has been using that authority all along. The 2013 ordinance did not authorize Mayor Engen to hire any law firm outside of Perkins Coie on an hourly basis, yet the mayor has unilaterally signed contracts with Datsopoulos, MacDonald & Lind and Boone Karlberg."

For Hertz, Wednesday’s Meeting will be an admission that his accusations were justified.

"The Mayor denied that he was exceeding his authority, but, at the same time is bringing an ordinance to city council, asking for an amendment to that authority," Hertz said. "It seems to me that he must agree with my opinion that he has been exceeding his authority up till now and is now trying to make his actions legal."

Hertz says he expects the authorization to pass, but says he won’t be supporting it. After this discussion by city council, there will be another hearing October 20, and public hearings early next month.

 

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