Mayor holding councilman's paycheck over missed meetings
SAN LUIS, Ariz. (AP) -- A City Council member in this border community is involved in a dispute with the mayor, who has been holding the councilman's check because she says he hasn't shown up to six council meetings.
Mayor Nieves Riedel said she's using the check as leverage to get Councilman Carlos Bernal to sit down and talk about his absenteeism. "It's my job to make sure that the council members do their duty," the mayor said.
Bernal said Riedel doesn't have the right to hold his check, which is $500 a month for his service as a council member.
"This woman thinks she's Fidel Castro and that she can control everything," Bernal said.
City Attorney Glen Gimbut said there is no statute that says the mayor cannot hold a council member's paycheck. He also pointed to a city statute that gives council members the right to compel other council members to attend council meetings.
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Information from: The Sun, http://www.yumasun.com