Former mayor resigns following "incompatibility of office."
CHEBOYGAN -- At the top of Cheboygan City Council's Tuesday night agenda will be filling the vacated mayor position.
Last week, Les Tebo resigned from the position after the city's attorney found a potential "incompatibility of office." Tebo also works as a sergeant with the Cheboygan County Sheriff's Office.
"As a law enforcement officer I can hold elected offices, be a mayor, be a councilman," Tebo said. "But, as soon as the city thought about contracting through the county that's when the incompatibility of office arose and I either had to resign or retire."
The city of Cheboygan is currently looking at the possibility of outsourcing their police services to the Cheboygan County Sheriff's Office. Because his job as mayor would require Tebo to be involved in the law enforcement service matter, there is, Tebo says, what could be viewed as a conflict of interest because of his employment with the sheriff's office.
"I decided to resign my office right now so the city can move forward and continue to discuss the possibilities without hinder the city," Tebo said.
Tuesday, the city council is expected to take action to fill the position, of which City Manager Scott McNeil says the council has two options.
"They can appoint a mayor to fulfill the former mayor's term from among themselves, which would then create a vacancy in a city council seat and fill temporarily and have an election later on," McNeil said. "Or they could appoint someone else as mayor and have an election later on for mayor."
If the first option is selected that individual would be expected to fulfill the remaining 14 months of the mayor's term. The latter of the two options would require an election to occur in August.
