Oelwein councilman facing criminal charges asks council for ‘leave’

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – The Oelwein City Council has decided what it wants to do after police arrested one of its members on drug charges.

Oelwein Police executed a search warrant at the home of At-Large Council Member Karen Seeders. There they found marijuana and hallucinogens. Seeders was elected to the position in 2021 after winning a special election, but after a raid on her home followed by a drug felony, the council considered removing her.

The Seeders’ seat was empty at Monday’s council meeting as the council debated how to proceed.

“We leave it up to the individual and what they choose to do,” Mayor Brett DeVore said. Whether it’s retirement, keep coming. Personally, I would resign if it were me.”

DeVore said he spoke with Seeders after the arrest and she told him she was obligated to remain on the board.

“She feels that she was chosen by the people of the community to represent their interests, and she wants to continue to do that,” Mayor DeVore said.

Under Iowa law, only a city council or county can remove a council member, but the city attorney said he does not believe that is possible at this time. Iowa Code states that a board member must be found guilty of a felony. Now Seeders faces only charges.

“We don’t really have the ability to remove it at this point,” Mayor DeVore said.

The board approved Seeders’ request for leave, but said it puts them in a difficult position as budget season approaches.

“For an elected official in a position as a city council member, this is essentially an opportunity to limit the amount of leave requested to a specific time frame,” said Councilman Matt Weber.

The council also authorized the mayor to speak with Seeders about limiting the vacation to 60 days.

“People are not happy about it, I don’t think any of the council members are very happy about it either,” Mayor DeVore said.