If you were with us yesterday, you read about the antics of Seabrook City Councilwoman Margaret Kidd Duncan, who in mid-December performed her free-form interpretation of Leona Helmsley on a Seabrook police officer. Last night, the City Council met in a special session to determine how to address Ms. Duncan's actions. Apparently, setting her adrift on an ice floe with a case of Lone Star and a box of Captain America comic books is not in the city charter.
Seabrook City Councilwoman Margaret Kidd Duncan was asked on Tuesday to resign her council position after she cursed at police officers following a traffic stop last month.
Duncan, however, did not step down from the council position she had held since being elected in May. On Monday, she resigned as the mayor pro tem.
City Councilman Mike Laible asked Duncan, 40, to resign the council post during a special council meeting Tuesday evening. His request was met by applause from about 150 people who packed the council chambers.
Laible's motion was approved by council members Pete Braccio, Rick Sammons and Jack Boteler. Councilman Larry Bonnin was absent. Duncan voted against the motion.
City Attorney Kim Mickelson, however, told the council that Duncan did not have to honor the council's resignation request. Instead, a council member must file a formal complaint to begin the process to remove her from office as specified in the city's charter.
Laible said he would file a complaint today.
Ms. Duncan has made her bed. Before long she will be made to sleep in it. I only wish that I would have been able to attend the meeting last night. It would have made for some good political theater.
As a society, we enjoy watching people fall from their pedestals- particularly when the person in question richly deserves the fall. If I were a better person, I would express my concern for Ms. Duncan's well-being, but I'm not, so I won't bother. She is a thoroughly despicable excuse for a human being.
Duncan is accused of violating the city charter, which specifies that council members should deal with city employees through the city manager. Council members are forbidden from giving city employees directives.
Ten residents spoke during the public comment period at Tuesday's meeting and all demanded that Duncan resign or that the council take action against her.
"Her language was disgusting. This language is unbecoming a public official and she should no longer be able to represent the citizens of Seabrook," said former Councilman C.W. Schollkopf. "Ms. Duncan, it's time to accept the consequences of your behavior. I urge you to do the right thing and resign from office."
Schollkopf said Duncan had effectively used intimidation to keep police from issuing her any traffic citations. Duncan was stopped for speeding and running a stop sign, but officers issued no citations.
Ms. Duncan could have saved herself this whole sorry episode by remembering that she is a City Council member in a small town. That fact hardly confers royal status on one, but Duncan has never been one for following the Golden Rule. Contentious, abrasive, paranoid, and mean, she is the sort of public official that gives politicians a bad name. There are many people in this town that will relish her fall from grace. I will proudly count myself among them.
We deserve better, and soon we will have it.
