Troy seeks new mayor after Ekstedt resigns

The City of Troy is looking for a new mayor.

Current Mayor Chuck Ekstedt resigned at Monday night’s meeting.

With about seven minutes left in the meeting, when it was Ekstedt’s turn to give a report or offer comment, he did just that.

“I’m done after this meeting, I’m leaving,” he said. “With the complement I have, I gotta fight an ex-mayor the council decides they gotta go have meetings with. I’ve got two commissioners that I’ve had to deal with over this time, wanting to run this town the way I gotta do it. 

“The sheriff for this county causes issues,” Ekstedt said. “The Lincoln County Planning Department Director comes up and tells me these people are lying to me and we found out they weren’t lying. I never got a call back from him even though I messaged him over and over about this. I got a council that’s gonna do what they want, so I am done with this altogether. So, there’s my report.”

After about six seconds of silence, Ekstedt said he was going to ask for a motion to adjourn, but Council President Shawna Kelsey said she had a question.

“Why didn’t you ask a question when I asked if there were any,” Ekstedt shot back. “Every time I ask about something, you guys sit there and I go on to the next one and then everyone comes up with something to ask questions about. So, what?”

Kelsey answered that the pause was, “like a 5-second break to see if anyone has anything to say or if anyone wanted to respond.”

Ekstedt said, “I’m just done with it.”

Kelsey then spoke briefly about the city’s growth policy and she and fellow councilor Jamie Shupe chatted briefly before Ekstedt informed council that new police chief Travis Miller can’t be put on a probationary period because it’s only for new hires.

“I’m still willing to be transparent and I’m good with making a monthly report,” Miller said.

City clerk Paula Rice spoke about the policy for a vacancy for an elected position. The city will have to appoint an interim mayor in the next 30 days until it can be filled during the next election.

The city posted a message on its Facebook page at about 10 a.m. Tuesday that it is accepting letters of interest for the position of interim mayor. Candidates must be 18 years of age or older and live within the city limits currently, having been a resident for a period of at least six months.

Ekstedt, nor any of the council members, spoke further on the matter.

The position will be for the next 14 months through the end of 2025. An election will be held in November 2025 to determine the new mayor. Letters must be submitted by 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 4.

Ekstedt, 54, was elected mayor Nov. 2, 2021, while collecting 169 votes. He beat incumbent Dallas Carr by 23 votes. Ekstedt was a member of city council at the time. He ran for mayor in 2017 and was beaten by Carr, a Troy native.

He has worked in the timber industry for the last 35 years and has owned and operated Ekstedt Tree Services since 2016. Ekstedt moved to Troy in 1980.

Ekstedt guided Troy through some difficult times, including the dissolution of its dispatch center in 2023 and the hiring of police chief Travis Miller last month.

Ekstedt wanted Miller to be the chief, but he received some opposition from city councilors before they eventually voted for Miller.