Haynes considers recall attempt

Baker City Councilor Milo Pope was home recovering from double bypass heart surgery when he read a newspaper ad by Dick Haynes promoting a recall campaign against Pope.

Haynes, himself a former three-time member of the City Council, said this morning the purpose of his ad is to gauge support for recalling Pope.

Haynes said he’s not pleased with Pope for continuing to talk about the Council’s decision to fire City Manager Steve Brocato on June 9, 2009.

Pope was one of three councilors who voted against the motion to fire Brocato.

Pope acknowledged that he hasn’t gotten over what he believes was inappropriate decision by Mayor Dennis Dorrah and councilors Aletha Bonebrake, Clair Button and Beverly Calder to fire Brocato.

Pope pointed out that the issue was not listed on the agenda for the June 9 meeting.

“There were seven of us on the council, not four  of us,” Pope said this morning. “They cut (councilors) Sam Bass, Andrew Bryan and I out of the process.”

“I learned about it the day it happened,” Pope said.

Haynes has not filed a recall petition against Pope.

The firing of Brocato has already prompted a campaign to recall Dorrah and Calder.

Voters decided in late October to keep both councilors in office.

Pope supported that recall campaign.

He said this morning that he believes a recall against him is unjustified because in his view his outspoken opposition to the way the Brocato firing was handled has not kept the Council from conducting its business efficiently in the ensuing nine months.

“We have had several unanimous votes,” Pope said. “He (Haynes) doesn’t believe the firing of Steve Brocato was a mistake. I do.

“His ad says it is obvious we can’t have quality and productive city government with Milo Pope on the City Council. That is factually incorrect,” Pope said. “I continue to vote, I continue to read, I continue to do what is good for the community. Things are getting done. The good old boys want it their way.

“I have never known a man as accomplished as Dick Haynes to be so base and silly,” Pope said.

Haynes argues that Pope is disrupting Council meetings by bringing up the Brocato firing.

“I don’t want to see two more years of disruptive behavior by Milo Pope,” Haynes said. “He hasn’t gotten over that the recall (of Dennis Dorrah and Beverly Calder) didn’t work, that he is in the minority, and that he doesn’t get his way all the time. He isn’t letting it die at all. I’m sure he’d like to bring Brocato back.”

While Bass and Bryan, the two other councilors who voted against the motion to fire Brocato, occasionally express their disdain for that decision, Haynes said they haven’t mentioned it as often as Pope has.

Haynes also pointed out that Bryan’s term ends Dec. 31, while Pope’s term continues through Dec. 31, 2012.

“Pope is the one who is still shooting off his mouth,” Haynes said.

Haynes said he has received several calls in response to the ads.

“If I didn’t think there was a chance of recalling him I wouldn’t be working on it,” Haynes said. “I’m just checking to see if there’s support. If there is support we will go ahead with the recall. If there isn’t, we won’t.”

Pope is recovering from a Valentine’s Day bypass surgery at St. Luke’s Hospital in Boise.

“I am doing fine,” Pope said, adding that he plans to be back in his seat on the City Council in about three or four weeks.