Mayor Roll should be commended for getting it right

Way to go, Mayor Doug Roll, for doing the right thing after all. 

Late last month, Roll returned $363.70 the City of Libby had paid his auto shop for replacing a faulty ignition switch in a city-owned vehicle earlier this year and another repair job in 2010. 

The repayment amount covers the $289.20 bill  the City Council agreed to pay DP Automotive, Roll’s business, in early February. Roll included another $74.50 as repayment for a 2010 transaction between his business and the city back in 2010. 

The city’s most recent payment to DP Automotive was brought to the public’s attention by Councilman Allen Olsen during a City Council meeting on Feb. 4. Olsen objected to paying the bill on the grounds that the mayor had violated the state’s conflict-of-interest law, but was outvoted 5-1.  

It was Roll who disclosed the 2010 transaction during a raucous showdown with Olsen at a City Council meeting Feb. 19. The gist of their argument was that Olsen demanded that Roll repay the city for the cost of the repairs; Roll replied that he had no reason to pay back the money and, therefore, had no intention to do so. 

It is possible Roll didn’t know that it is against the law for a mayor to facilitate a contract between the city he runs and the business he owns. It’s also possible that Roll just didn’t think anyone would notice or care about a small bill for a repair job that was, by all appearances, a reasonably fair deal for the city. 

But, in my opinion, none of that really matters anymore. Roll paid it all back – parts and labor – and, essentially, did two repair jobs for the city at no cost. After all of the wailing and teeth grinding, everything worked out favorably for the taxpayers of Libby. 

Roll’s image might have gotten dinged up a bit in the process, but that was entirely avoidable if he had recognized his errors immediately. This mess dragged on in full view of the public because he refused to admit he had made a mistake – and because newspapers have a duty to inform the public about the actions of their elected officials. 

Even now, Roll is silent on the matter. After I heard that he had repaid the city, I called DP Automotive to thank him for doing the right thing. But he didn’t want to discuss it, saying only that he didn’t have anything to say at this time.

I can understand if Roll is upset with The Western News. He probably took it personally that we turned his actions into headlines. And I realize how uncomfortable that can be for someone who is not accustomed to being scrutinized. 

But our decision to publicize Roll’s actions was based strictly on the principle that “We the People” have a right to know how our government – local, state and federal – is spending our money. And when public officials put taxpayers’ money in their own pockets, newspapers have an obligation to inform you about it. 

It’s as simple as that.

The Western News does not oppose or support any politician, political party or partisan platform. While the individuals who work here certainly have opinions and political persuasions, it’s our duty to set aside those viewpoints when presenting the news. We are proud to be an independent news source that treats all sides fairly and presents the news accurately.

I certainly hope Mayor Roll understands that we were only doing our jobs when we dug into the city’s transactions with his business. We take our role as a public watchdog very seriously, and sometimes we have to do the ugly job of pointing out when the leaders of our community do questionable or illegal things. 

On the other hand, congratulating people for doing the right thing is also part of our job. And, trust me, patting someone on the back is much easier to do than criticizing someone for stepping out of line. 

This column, frankly, was easy to write. For more than a month, I’ve hoped to have an opportunity to thank the mayor publicly for returning the money to the city. I wasn’t sure he was going to do so, but I figured he might. And I put a lot of thought into what I wanted to write. 

The problem was, Roll didn’t tell anybody that he had returned the money. And he has refused for the past six weeks to answer any of our questions on the topic. We found out only because Alan Gerstenecker, our editor, followed up on a rumor and inquired about the payments with the city clerk. 

I can’t speculate as to why Roll kept it a secret. Only Roll knows the answer to that. 

Nonetheless, it’s satisfying to know that our mayor has the fortitude to do the right thing under pressure. His actions speak louder than words, anyway. And his actions say that he recognizes mayors serve the people, not the other way around. 

 (Matt Bunk is publisher of The Western News.)