This Boise-area city ousted its longtime city clerk. She and the public wonder why
After spending nearly 16 years in the Kuna city clerk’s office, Chris Engels was just removed from office. She said she wasn’t given “any reasons” for the action.
On Friday, Kuna’s four City Council members met and voted unanimously to remove Engels from the City Clerk position. During the meeting and in follow-up phone calls from the Idaho Statesman, Mayor Joe Stear and the council would not elaborate on why Engels was removed.
Engels, reached by phone on Monday, said she still isn’t sure why she was removed.
“My position is that I really wasn’t told any of the reasons for the action, nor do I have any verbal or written history from the city prior to this action,” Engels said.
City Council Member Greg McPherson said in his motion to remove Engels that it was “in order to establish and therefore after maintain a cooperative working environment in the city clerk’s office.”
In a statement after the vote, Stear clarified that the city is not aware of any legal challenges being brought or considered against Engels.
Stear told the Statesman that he couldn’t speak about the reasons for Engels’ dismissal or evaluation. He said Engels would hear from the city’s human resources department and its lawyer.
But on Monday morning, Engels said she had yet to hear from the city, despite asking for reasons for her dismissal.
“I haven’t got anything yet from them,” Engels said. “Not an email, and I haven’t seen anything come in the mail yet.”
She said she “wants to move forward in a positive way.”
“I just don’t want to engage in negativity,” she said.
City clerks are in charge of keeping a record of City Council proceedings and have custody of the laws and ordinances of the city.
Engels’ removal was first reported by BoiseDev.
She joined the clerk’s office as deputy city clerk and worked her way up to city clerk. She said she developed a grant-administration program. In January, Engels would have completed 16 years there.
Engels, 59, said she raised her family in Kuna but later moved to Boise.
This story was originally published October 30, 2023 at 12:43 PM.
