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Show ILaytoni Names New Mayor By PONETA GATHERUM LAYTON At a special open city council meeting held Monday Mon-day afternoon. Golden C. Sill, thc Layton councilman with most seniority and a former Mayor ol" Layton. was appointed by the city council to serve out the remaining one year term of office vacated last Thursday evening when Mayor Lewis G. Shields resigned. COUNCIL CHAMBERS were filled with citizens Thursday evening for the regular council meeting. Mayor Pro tern. Ann Harris, read a letter from Mayor Shields. She received the message mes-sage early Thursday morning. Thc mayor said. "For the past eight or ten months. I have been seriously considering retirement for various reasons. The financial finan-cial audit conducted by the Davis County Attorney, among other . things, has involved many of us and required my staying until the matter was concluded. "NOW THAT the situation seems to have been resolved. I have made my decision and effective immediately resign my position as Mayor. This action is taken after 15 years of dedicated service to Layton City." Mr. Shields went on to thank the officials, employees and citizens who "have made Layton a better place to live and WSPECULATION that Mayor Shields would resign by Nov. 15's council meeting started two weeks ago when suspended city recorder and administrative assistant to thc mayor, Randall J. Heaps, resigned from office and pleaded "no contest" to a reduced re-duced charge of attempted misuse of public funds before Judge Alfred C. Van Wagenen of the 4th Circuit Court. Mr. Fleaps was indited by the county attorney Sept. 2 on five counts of misusing public money, a third degree felony and one count of official neglect and misconduct, a misdemcancr. A PLEA bargaining session held before thc 4th Circuit Court preliminary hearing of Nov. 7 resulted in the filing of a reduced third degree felony charge and the resignation of Mr. Heaps. Some Layton City council members contend that part of the plea bargain was that Mayor Shields would resign from office by Nov. 15. County attorney. Loren Martin would not confirm that the W.IH1WI)IWIPHIIW"''MI'M"'""""II"H UMlilJIJl I M t -1 "".Tiiii " '' - "tiiri .k......, ... . niiirJ- i -r-i inanMM Mayor's resignation w as part of the plea bargain. He said. "The court has no jurisdiction over the resignation of a public official. Nothing could be made binding." AN AUDIT of Layton City's financial records for the past four years was ordered by the county attorney's office as part of the investigation into charges of misuse of public funds made by Council members Sam Trujillo. Bob Stevenson and Golden Sill. Thomas L. Harkness. the certified public accountant hired to conduct the audit, mentioned five no-interest loans from city funds that were made to Mayor Shields. All money was paid back to the city. SOME OF the money secured through the loans were used for side trips and "extra" extended stays when Mr. Heaps and his wife and the Mayor and his wife attended league of cities and towns national conventions. Among the citizens in attendance at Thursday's council meeting meet-ing was Mrs. Teresa Hood, the organizer of a petition drive aimed at putting pressure on the Mayor to resign. After the Mayor's letter was read. Mrs. Hood made a statement thanking the Mayor for resigning and asking the next mayor to carefully study the statutes, ordinances and Constitution. GWEN PETERS' name was also on the council meeting agenda. agen-da. She cautioned council members, "election doesn't mean immunity. Personal use of public funds is strictly forbidden. ..We will remember the action and positions taken when elections are held on November of 1985. We can have new people in office every two years. Once in office doesn't mean always in office." Mrs. Peters asked "Why didn't the council take control over a year ago when the problem was brought out in the open?" COUNCILMAN Sill gave up three remaining years of his council coun-cil term in order to assume the one year mayorship. A new council member will be appointed to fill Mr. Sill's position very soon. People who are interested in this council position can send summaries of their qualifications to any member mem-ber of the city council. ALTHOUGH MR. Sill had three years remaining on the city council, the appointed councilman will serve only one year. State law states that person appointed to fill an elected position w ill serve only until the next general election. In this case, the term of office will be only one year, dmg |