Dover investigation paints picture of a council divided

SANDPOINT — A six-month investigation into the inner workings of Dover’s city government found no criminal behavior, but the resulting 427-page report compiled by the Idaho Attorney General’s office paints a picture on an office divided.

In the hundreds of pages of recorded testimony, city officials raise questions of voter fraud and financial mismanagement, while generally portraying City Hall as a cutthroat, divisive environment.

Not so, said Dover Councilwoman Maggie Becker, who said she feels no animosity from or toward any of her colleagues. Becker, who has been a member of the council since Dover’s incorporation 20 years ago, said she has a good working relationship with fellow council members and with city staff.

“I don’t (have ill will) towards any council member or anyone who works for us at all,” Becker said. “But I think having a little dividing is a good thing. Everybody should not be on the same side all the time, that’s not a good thing.”

Becker said she feels vindicated by the Attorney General’s decision to forgo criminal charges.

“We’re very happy that it’s finally come to an end — it’s been going on since January — and the AG’s office did a complete job of investigating the city of Dover,” Becker said. “I committed no wrongs and saw nothing wrong with the things we did.”

That sentiment is echoed by Councilwoman Peggy Burge, who is adamant that the allegations made against the city were baseless.

“I’m pleased that the Attorney General’s office acknowledged the fact that the city council and city of Dover were doing nothing wrong,” Burge said.

Mayor Randy Curless said many of the allegations addressed in the report were a result of poor communication between council members and does not believe the city acted improperly.

“I think we had some problems at that time. We had a councilman that ran against me for reelection and was not successful. Things boiled up from that, to the point where it was apparent there was some hard feelings,” Curless said.

Former Councilman Louis Collins, who resigned in May, ran against Curless in the 2007 Dover Mayoral race. Collins instigated the investigation by sending Bonner County Prosecutor Phil Robinson a letter that made several allegations against both Curless and Becker.

Curless maintains that problems at City Hall were nothing more than the typical disagreements present in every city government, but accusations in the report seem to go beyond standard political wrangling.

During interviews conducted by officials from the Attorney General’s Office, Collins and city Clerk/Treasurer Lauri Katana questioned Becker’s actions on election day in November 2007.

Katana, who was acting as Dover’s election clerk, told investigators that she was informed that Becker came to Dover Community Hall, which is the city’s polling location, and went through the voter registration and signature books to see who had voted and who had not.

Shortly after the election, Katana reported the incident to Bonner County election officer Dianna Campbell and county clerk Marie Scott. Scott advised her that Becker had acted improperly and that Collins could challenge the election results if he wanted, Katana testified.

Becker denied that her actions her improper and reiterated that she was not guilty of any impropriety.

Katana also claimed that Curless overstepped his bounds as mayor by allowing a city employee to use a taxpayer-funded cell phone for personal, long distance calls.

“Kym (Holbert) told me mayor allows her to use the city cell phone for personal, long distance calls. I checked employee policy manual — this is against the rules. Mayor asked me to ‘spy’ on council. He used those words. He said it was my duty as clerk to do this (spy?) and keep him informed of what they are doing and planning,” Katana said in a journal entry dated June 27, 2007.

Perhaps the most serious question investigators examined was whether the city acted improperly when it failed to charge the Dover Community Baptist church for utility fees while simultaneously charging the city’s other church for full services.

While the Attorney General’s office found evidence that a benefit was conferred uniquely to the church, it did not find sufficient evidence in the matter to file criminal charges.

Curless admits that the church billing situation could have been conducted more appropriately, but blamed much of the uproar over the issue on a lack of understanding on the part of some council members.

“It probably would have penciled out on paper better had we been charged an actual bill for rent on the building and then we sent them a bill for utilities,” Curless said. “It might have given a better appearance or been less confusing to the people that hadn’t looked into it.”

Neither Katana nor Collins were  available for comment on the Attorney General’s report. After resigning in May, Collins left the area, and, when contacted, Katana said she was told not to comment on the story.