GI City Council Special Meeting Scheduled for Mayoral Censure Action

By: Steve Ross Email

Updated: Thu 9:36 PM, Aug 02, 2012

Nearly a week after the initiation of a recall effort against Grand Island Mayor Jay Vavricek was announced, another blow.

The Grand Island City Council has called for a Friday afternoon meeting to censure Mayor Vavricek officially, and to request a specific action.

"The purpose of it is to ask the Mayor to revisit his decision on bringing back the current city administrator," explained city council member Peg Gilbert.

Vavricek requested city administrator Mary Lou Brown's resignation, accepted it and then, against the wishes of some city council members, changed course and asked her to return to work. Mayor Vavricek maintains that his course has been steady throughout.

"I stand by the statement that I made on June 26, that Mary Lou Brown would continue; that she would work through her resignation which would not become effective until September 30th, so that's where we're at today," Mayor Vavricek said.

Some city council members see things differently, and want to get the matter -- and their issues with the Mayor -- resolved.

"We want to work forward on these issues together as a problem-solving collaborative effort, and we want to extend a hand to the Mayor, that we don't in any way mean this to be punitive, but just that we need to work differently as a team going forward," commented Peg Gilbert.

Grand Island resident Jeb Wolsleben is leading the effort to recall Vavricek, but has to wait for the Mayor's response statement before he can collect signatures.

"I have had a lot of public support. A lot of people are calling me, wondering where the petitions are at this point. Obviously, I cannot get those until the mayor responds," Wolsleben explained.

Wolsleben says he is confident that he can get the over 3200 signatures required to force a recall election for mayor.

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