Residents question mayor’s actions

Published 1:50 am Saturday, January 5, 2008

Arlington Mayor Carmen Kontur-Gronquist is a hot topic around town of late. Some of Kontur-Gronquist’s constituents say she was out of line when she posed in a black bra and panties on one of the town fire engines and posted the photos on her MySpace page.

One close-up shot shows the mayor in the door of the fire truck, one hand on the steering wheel. The vehicle’s light bar is visible just to the right of Kontur-Gronquist’s blond hair. The mayor has blocked her MySpace page to all but friends, though at one time, it was open to all MySpace users.

Some residents say the pictures of Arlington’s mayor, scantily-clad, reflect badly on the town. Not only is Kontur-Gronquist the town’s mayor, but she also serves as the fire department’s executive secretary.

“It’s a picture of her in bra and panties on a rural protection fire truck in a rural protection firehall,” said Lorena Woods, a longtime resident. “This isn’t the way we want our city to be portrayed.”

Arlington voters elected Kontur-Gronquist three years ago as mayor. The EO was able to reach Kontur-Gronquist for a phone interview in which she said there’s no reason for anyone to have a problem with the racy photos.

“That my personal life,” she said staunchly. “It has nothing to do with my mayor’s position.”

Kontur-Gronquist said the photos were taken before she was mayor, but saw no reason to remove them from the Internet after she took office.

“I’m not going to change who I am,” she said. “There’s a lot of officials that have a personal life, and you have people in this community who have nothing better to do than scrape up stuff like this … and if this is all they have to do, there is nothing they can do about it.”

The mayor also refused to provide a fuller context about the photos.

“I’m not going to answer that,” she said, seconds before hanging up the phone.

“I’ve heard a lot of negative comments from the public about the pictures,” said Arlington City Councilman Jeff Bufton. “They weren’t very happy about it.”

Bufton wouldn’t comment about whether the council plans to address the mayor’s alleged foray into modeling on public property.

The mayor works as the fire department’s executive secretary, working part-time, said Gilliam Fire Services Coordinator Shannon Coppock.

“She does the minutes and the books for the board,” she said.

Coppock said she didn’t feel comfortable commenting on the photo fuss.

Councilman Steve Webb expressed outrage toward the unidentified Arlington resident who first alerted the EO to the existence of the photos and who said townspeople weren’t happy about their mayor posing in her bra and underwear in the town fire hall.

That’s not fair to the mayor, Webb said.

“You should be able to confront your accuser,” he added. “People can call and say whatever they EO want, whenever they want.”

Webb refused to give the report any credence.

“I haven’t seen any pictures of anything,” he said. “I’ve never seen any pictures at all.”

But, the photos are definitely a subject of debate around the town of about 500, according to Woods.

“I’ve heard some talk of recall,” she said. “I think there are a large number of people in support. … People are somewhat intimidated by her. She has sort of a vindictive power.”

Wednesday evening, Arlington will hold its annual town meeting. The photos are sure to come up, Woods said.

“A lot of people are not happy about it,” she said.