RAVENSWOOD, W.Va. — A motion calling for a vote of no confidence in Ravenswood Mayor Michael Ihle has been tabled.
Ravenswood City Council voted 6-0 during their meeting Tuesday night to table the motion for three months to see if the mayor and city council can work together for the betterment of the city.
A lengthy discussion took place before the vote, but before that Ihle read a prepared statement, excused himself from conducting the meeting and left the room.
In his statement, Ihle said the motion was simply about personal differences council members had with him and saw it as deeply insulting on a personal level. He also saw it as a way to distract from the personal issues facing the city and added that it showed that council had no confidence in the citizens of Ravenswood.
Ihle even went so far as to say the issues are causing businesses to leave town and others to relocate. However, he did add that he was willing to put it all aside and move forward, admitting that he has many faults that have contributed to the controversy.
Once Ihle finished his written statement and left the meeting, members of the city council began their discussion.
City officials took the time to point out many issues they had with Ihle’s running of the city. They said the mayor repeatedly acted on his own in hiring personnel, he forced the city pool to open when there was a health concern over the past summer and altered holiday schedules without council approval, just to name a few.
Two members of city council, Jared Bloxton and Judy Wiseman, even offered to resign, but both said they would remain to see if things improved.
More than 50 people from the public attended Tuesday night’s meeting.
Many recalled seeing these same issues brought up with past councils and mayors. Others urged the council to help guide the mayor and urged the mayor to work with council.