Mayor resigns, and no one wants the job

LA BELLE, Mo. -- This small northeast Missouri town is looking for a new mayor, but so far, no one wants the job.

Bruce Hoffman, La Belle's mayor for the past seven years, resigned Aug. 8, and the Board of Aldermen has been seeking a replacement ever since. La Belle, a town of 650 residents, is about 50 miles northwest of Hannibal.

Some thought the matter would be resolved at the Aug. 12 aldermanic meeting, when Mayor Pro Tem Gene Huebotter nominated former alderman Larry Hackamack to serve as mayor until the April 2003 elections. But the board rejected Hackamack by a vote of 4-2.

That left it open for one of the current aldermen to move up to mayor. City Clerk Karen Lasswell said Huebotter asked, "Do any of you guys want the job?" and nobody did.

The board directed Huebotter and another alderman to contact a second possible candidate. Lasswell said the board may vote on the nomination at its meeting on Sept. 9.

Hoffman's wife brought a note to City Hall on Aug. 8 announcing the resignation as of 10 a.m. that day. Hoffman did not offer an explanation.

As mayor pro tem, Huebotter will take care of the mayors routine duties until a permanent replacement is found.