Marion resident fires questions at the mayor over residency

A Marion resident riddled Mayor Allen "Snooks" Bouska with questions at Thursday's city council meeting on whether he lived in the city of Marion, if his wife lived there and even inquired if he would have Thanksgiving dinner in Marion.

After many more questions about whether his home was truly in Marion or Hiawatha, Jodi Treharne then told him if he didn't live in Marion, "you have some serious ethical issues on your hands, and you have some explaining to do to the people of Marion."

Treharne then said the reason she wanted to address the council was to prevent an issue in the future and asked them to review residency requirement for elected officials.

"As many of you may or may not know, all you have to do is register to vote in Marion to be a candidate for office," Treharne said.

Treharne said that wasn't acceptable, and there should be a better process in place so that someone running for an elected position should actually live in Marion.

Bouska said the council would accept her letter and take it under consideration. None of the other council members said anything about the letter.

Kim Etzel, Ward One council member, said later during council discussion time that she wished the mayor would have given his address at the last council meeting when Craig Adamson, a former council member who was voted out in the general election earlier this month, disputed Bouska's residency and said he was breaking Iowa code. She also thinks the mayor should live in Marion.

Bouska said after the meeting that the council will address this issue of residency requirements. His concern is that making the requirements too "strict or stringent" could deter someone from running.

"This is a part time position...... and I have tried to follow the intent of this law," Bouska said.

Bouska's residency was first questioned when he ran for mayor in 2011, but a city panel ruled Bouska's apartment qualified him to run.

Bouska told KCRG last week that the "official" mayor's home is in Marion, despite the fact that he still owns a home in Hiawatha. His driver's license lists the Marion address and he called the Hiawatha home an investment, one of several properties he owns in the area.

Linn County Auditor Joel Miller said Thursday afternoon the council could amend its charter regarding residency requirements as long as it doesn't conflict with state law.

Miller said the code requires a person to maintain a residency in the city where he/she is running for office but "what is maintain - how do you define that." To qualify as a resident, a person only has to have the "intent" to live in a home, he said.

During the 2008 flood, some people moved to Marion but still wanted to vote in Cedar Rapids, so they were allowed them to remain voters in Cedar Rapids if it was their "intention" to move back, Miller said.

"He is a registered voter in Marion and hasn't violated any state law," Miller said.

Bouska was asked by two Gazette reporters where he and his family would have Thanksgiving dinner.

He smiled and said the "Kirkwood Hotel restaurant."