Troy officials mishandled health board appointment

Officials in Troy admitted last week to skipping steps when appointing a new city representative to the county health board amid questions from residents about the process.

Mayor Dallas Carr told attendees at a May 19 city council meeting that officials had not acted with surreptitious intent when appointing Jim Seifert to the health board in November without a city council vote. While the discrepancy likely would need to be corrected, Carr did not foresee replacing Seifert with any other candidates.

“I’m not perfect and I don’t claim to be,” said Carr. “But I’m honest and … I might upset some people that way and I’m sorry but I’m learning.”

The issue arose after Troy resident Evan Comilla questioned the process during a public comment portion of the meeting. She charged the council with violating the city charter by failing to vote on Seifert’s appointment.

While councilors were unsure if the vote was required under the charter, City Clerk Tracy Rebo said a memorandum of agreement between the city and the health board stated that the council would approve the municipality’s candidate. But she indicated that the knowledge came up through research after the fact.

“At the time [of Seifert’s appointment] we did not know… that we had to appoint with the consent of council,” said Rebo.

To remedy the issue, Rebo recommended the council hold a vote on Seifert’s nomination at an upcoming meeting.

“We have to make sure it’s legal and acceptable,” said Rebo.

Councilor TJ Boswell suggested that the city coordinate with legal experts to nail down the council’s responsibilities in the matter.

“It would be nice to resolve it,” added City Councilor Shawna Kelsey.

Comilla asked if councilors considered other candidates before landing Seifert. She noted that when Libby City Council appointed a new board member in March, the municipality had advertised the position, held interviews and selected their representative from a field of seven candidates.

Carr said that he appointed Seifert after Kathi Hooper, county health department director, told him that Maggie Anderson, the city’s former representative to the board, was stepping down. Hooper named Seifert as a “person of interest” for the position, according to Carr.

The mayor said he approved of Seifert as a nominee and was under the impression that he had the authority to appoint the city’s representative to the board. Along with Libby and Eureka, Troy has one seat on the board. To introduce Seifert to the council as the city’s liaison to the county panel, Carr invited him to a subsequent meeting.

While he might not always agree with Seifert, Carr said he backed the former pharmacist and veteran as the community’s best candidate for the position. Seifert has drawn fire from residents opposed to pandemic restrictions and coronavirus vaccination efforts in the months since joining the board.

Trego resident and fierce health board critic Catherine Kahle noted the unusual manner of his appointment during an appearance before the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners earlier this month. She and her compatriots have recently resumed efforts to remove Seifert and at-large member Jan Ivers from the board even as the pandemic has waned.

“I still endorse Jim Seifert,” said Carr. “I’ve seen a lot of good that man has done so I’m not going to retract my choice in him at all.”

Comilla and other residents at the meeting thanked Carr and the council for looking into the matter and rectifying any errors they may have made.

“I applaud you for getting the education and trying to figure out how to better handle things in the future,” Comilla said.