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Another resignation leaves Stevensville Town Council with 3 openings

Posted at 2:11 PM, Jul 24, 2019
and last updated 2019-07-24 18:19:41-04
Stevensville Mayor Brandon Dewey (L) and former Councilwoman Stacie Barker (R) during a town council meeting. (MTN News file photo)

STEVENSVILLE – The political meltdown continues in the Town of Stevensville, after another town council member resigns, leaving only one person on the panel.

Councilwoman Stacie Barker joined the exodus on Tuesday, submitting her resignation letter to Mayor Brandon Dewey.

She follows former Councilmen Jim Crews and Bob Michalson, who resigned last week because of on-going disputes with the mayor.

In her letter, Barker says “she can no longer do the job” that she was elected to do by the citizens of Stevensville.

“As I cannot be a member of the town’s government where truthfulness and loyalty mean nothing and is no longer visible to the public,” Barker writes. “Where laws, ordinance and resolutions cannot be followed and are constantly broken.”

Barker goes on to say she “cannot sit back and watch activities that are not legal and the proper protocol is not followed.”

Michalson and Crews made similar complaints in their resignations. The departures come in the on-going dispute between two factions in Stevensville.

Crews, who had lost to Dewey in the elections two years ago, had only been re-appointed to the council over the mayor’s objections earlier this month.

The resignations follow a major disagreement about replacing the town’s attorney.

Barker’s resignation leaves Robin Holcomb as the only member of the Town Council besides the mayor, raising questions about how the town can conduct business.

Mayor Dewey told MTN News the city attorney is reviewing options and the process for moving forward.