Maple Plain appoints new mayor after determining mayor 'abandoned' office

In a rare move, city leaders in Maple Plain have determined that their mayor "abandoned office" and appointed a replacement.

The small west metro town named a new mayor this week after Mayor Roger Hackbarth stopped attending city meetings in July, just before the City Council censured him a second time for his behavior.

"It's been a very difficult time for the city of Maple Plain," said Jerry Young, who was appointed mayor. "A lot of citizens questioned why we didn't have a complete council. … We can move forward now … and get back to business."

Young, a longtime City Council member who lost re-election last week, was appointed immediately to the spot. He will serve the two years left on Hackbarth's four-year term. Hackbarth didn't return messages seeking comment Thursday.

Under state statute, when an officeholder misses meetings for 90 days because of an illness or refusal to attend, the City Council can declare a vacancy and fill the spot for the rest of the term.

Maple Plain, like most Minnesota cities, lacks the authority to recall or otherwise remove an elected official; they can only be disqualified from office if they're convicted of a felony. A City Council can approve a censure, though, which isn't a legal charge but shows public disapproval.

That's what Maple Plain (pop. 1,800) did earlier this year with Hackbarth, 71, who won election in 2012 by 67 votes after serving as a council member for six years. In March, the City Council censured him, citing Hackbarth's vulgarity and "extreme anger" in public appearances. They also said he created an "unsafe and unfriendly" atmosphere after a female employee's complaint that he behaved inappropriately, demanding hugs and claiming that he loved her.

In August, the council approved a second censure, asking Hackbarth to resign and stripping him of his salary — $350 a month — and almost all his duties, saying he continued to "behave unprofessionally, with angry outbursts toward council members and staff."

No other complaints have been filed against Hackbarth and he has a clean criminal record, according to records. Earlier this year, he told a local newspaper, the Pioneer, that a small group has been determined to "get rid of" him since he was elected.

In nearby Maple Grove, the City Council similarly approved a censure earlier this year of Council Member LeAnn Sargent after she was sentenced on a gross misdemeanor for financially exploiting her dying father. But she has remained in the position, attending meetings.

In Maple Plain, Hackbarth has missed meetings since July. In October, the council unanimously approved a resolution determining that he "abandoned" office, declaring the position vacant.

"You really need five people on a council," Young said.

While some residents questioned Young being appointed mayor after losing his council spot, he said Thursday that he has served as acting mayor for the past year and that the spot will be open for the 2016 election.