Fairfax City Council reappoints recently ousted clerk

FAIRFAX — A tight-lipped Fairfax City Council made an about-face this week in opting to reappoint former City Clerk Cynthia Stimson to fill her position on an interim basis.

The council met Wednesday for a special meeting where the clerical role was the only item on the agenda. In back-to-back votes, the group voted unanimously to create an interim city clerk/treasurer position and then offer it to Stimson.

Stimson — who was removed from the position earlier this year — will fill the role through June 30, after which she will retire. The goal is to hire a new city clerk before that date so Stimson can train her replacement ahead of her departure.

“I want to thank staff and residents for their support during this difficult time,” Stimson said at the meeting. “I hope we’re able to repair the damage done to the reputation of the city of Fairfax and (to) staff morale.”

The decision caps a tumultuous month at Fairfax City Hall that began Jan. 8 with the council’s 3-2 vote to not reappoint Stimson as city clerk. She had held the position for more than 15 years with reappointment taking place every two.

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Council members Cindy Anderson, Deb Mallie and Dan Wozniak voted against her reappointment while members Marianne Wainwright and Mike Daly voted in favor.

The vote caused immediate disruptions to municipal operations, and City Administrator Chris Philipp said staff were left scrambling. By the next council meeting, dozens of residents showed up to call for Stimson’s reappointment.

The next day, it was announced that Stimson would be returning to City Hall on a limited basis for as-needed mentoring through an Iowa League of Cities program meant to connect experienced clerical staff to cities with specific training needs.

City council members formally approved that arrangement at their Jan. 20 meeting, agreeing to pay her $80 per hour for her mentoring work. Stimson at that time stated she would not mentor in perpetuity and urged the council to reappoint her to the role.

The council on Wednesday voted to do just that in appointing Stimson as interim city clerk. She will be paid $39 per hour, which is the same rate she was paid before she was ousted from her job last month.

Discussion around her reappointment was light, however, and none of the members who originally voted against Stimson’s reappointment spoke to their change of heart.

Speaking during public comment, Fairfax Parks Director Joe Kell urged the council to begin the search for Stimson’s replacement as soon as possible to give her plenty of time to train the next clerk on the position’s many responsibilities.

“The sooner you hire a new clerk, the more time they have to train and learn from a former city clerk,” he said. “I urge the council to look in the rearview mirror, but not to stare. The road is in front of you. Your decisions have led us here, so what exit are we going to take?”

Per the terms of Wednesday’s resolution, Stimson will rejoin City Hall as a full-time employee on Monday. She told council members she will work to address any backlogs that occurred in her absence with priority toward those that most immediately affect business operations.

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