Tired of fighting, Libby mayor resigns

LIBBY — After years of conflict in local government and less than a week after a judge ended a recall effort against him, Libby Mayor Doug Roll has resigned.

Roll and council member Barb Desch both submitted letters of resignation Wednesday to the City Council.

Roll’s resignation is effective at 5 p.m. on Wednesday.

Roll said he wanted to be done working with a council that he felt created more conflict than action.

“I’m not going to fight it any more,” Roll said in an interview Wednesday. “We’ve got a council that has no idea what they’re doing and fights me at every corner.”

Neither Roll nor Desch were at Tuesday’s City Council meeting.

Some council members said Roll’s resignation was a win for the city of Libby.

“I think this is a great step in the right direction for the town of Libby and the community so we can move forward in a progressive and positive manner,” council member Brian Zimmerman said.

“That’s the best news we’ve had in Libby in a long time,” council member Allen Olsen said.

Roll has been mayor for eight years.

In his resignation letter, he praised city employees but scorned council members.

“After recent events, the attempted recall and subsequent court ruling that fully exonerated me, with a majority of council that refuses to follow procedure and were at the forefront of the recall drive, it is folly to believe that we can do the work of the city. The aforementioned council people have little experience and no understanding of their role in governing the city,” Roll wrote.

He added: “I would hope that the good citizens of our community make sure that the fringe element, that seems to hold sway over these council people, are not allowed to influence the course of city business.”

Roll also said the city of Libby’s finances are strong and the “infrastructure (streets, sidewalks, water and sewer, police department) are in the best shape in years.”

Desch’s letter, dated Tuesday, said she planned to be “out of the city limits more than in the city limits” so she felt it was her duty to resign.

Reporter Seaborn Larson may be reached at 293-4124 or by email at slarson@dailyinterlake.com.