Bridge Dispute Triggers Councilman's Resignation
A standoff over the construction of the Main Street bridge forces a local official to step down after he claims his authority was undermined.
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Councilman William Glasford has tendered to Mayor Hunt his resignation as chairman of the street committee. The resignation was filed with the mayor personally on Monday morning. The action came as a big surprise to the mayor, and he used all his persuasive powers to have Councilman Glasford reconsider it. The councilman was firm, however, and informed Mayor Hunt that under no circumstances would he serve as chairman. 'My action in this matter,' said Councilman Glasford, 'is the result of the trouble which has arisen over the construction of the Main Street bridge. I wanted to secure a thorough bridge carpenter to put in the bridge, as I believed that the street commissioner was not the proper one to superintend its construction. When I found that the work was not being done in a way which I thought was best, I interposed. As they would not act on my instruction, I took it up with the mayor and he directed me to have the work done the way I thought best. The council saw fit to disregard my position and voted to carry out the work as provided in the original specifications, and countermanded the order for the lumber placed by me. This action I considered very discourteous and I decided that I could no longer serve as chairman.'
“The council saw fit to disregard my position in the premises and voted to carry out the work as provided in the original specifications.”
Public works disputes over budget and oversight remain a staple of municipal government in Walla Walla. The friction between council committees and department commissioners mirrors modern debates about executive authority and local project management.
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