EAGLE, Idaho — The debate over how much power Eagle's mayor should have to hire and fire city staff is over — restoring some power for Mayor Brad Pike.
Council members passed changes to Ordinance 913 Tuesday night, restoring Pike's powers to what his predecessor, former Mayor Jason Pierce, had held. The ordinance went into effect immediately following the vote.
Watch to hear from Mayor Brad Pike about Ordinance 913.
Pike, who served four years on the Eagle City Council before being elected mayor in 2023 and taking office in January 2024, said he first learned about Ordinance 913 at the very meeting it was passed — and he opposed it from the start.
"Rumor mill [said that] basically that there were 3 people placed under the executive branch and that they put an ordinance together to protect them from me firing them," Pike said.
Pike said he spoke up at the meeting, telling the council the ordinance was unnecessary.
"I implore you not to do it," Pike said at the time — but the council moved forward anyway.
When he took office in January 2024, Pike asked again for the ordinance to be rescinded. He said the concerns behind it were never warranted.
"There were no pink slips in my back pocket ready to let people go because one, they were vital people in the need of the functionality of the city," Pike said.
Pike said the three positions covered under the ordinance were placed under the executive branch originally because there was not a right fit for them in another department, not for any political reason. As it turned out, all three staff members eventually left on their own terms: one went to a higher position in a different part of the state, one got a job with the state, and one got a job with the local community.
"I want people to work in Eagle and for the city of Eagle because they want to work here. This is where they want to be," Pike said.
Pike said the ordinance cast a shadow over his first year in office.
"That first year, I really felt like I was on my own and just wanting to be part of the team. Somebody has to be the captain— that happens to be my position as the mayor, but I wanted everybody to feel like we're really a strong team together. Not just the staff, but also the council, so we're doing what we're supposed to be doing as elected officials for this community," Pike explained.
It took two complete years — half of his term — to get the ordinance revisited and removed.
City Council Member Robert Gillis, who joined the council in early January, said the push to revisit the ordinance came directly from the community — and that he approached it with the mindset of his prior career.
"During my campaign, I had a lot of community members asking me if I was gonna restore mayoral powers," Gillis said. "And I made a decision that we were going to change this ordinance."
Pike said he and Gillis share a common foundation that made their partnership on this issue a natural fit. Both are retired public safety professionals — Gillis retired from law enforcement, and Pike retired from the fire service.
"I think one of the strong suits for Rob Gillis coming into the council is that he and I are both public safety servants. We both retired. He retired out of law enforcement. I retired out of the fire service. We understand the team concept. We understand you can't do something isolated— on your own," Pike said.
Pike said Gillis got it right when he framed the issue as being about the position, not the person.
The new ordinance has already resulted in a reorganization inside City Hall, with department heads placed in charge of certain areas. Gillis said the change brings clarity to the chain of command.
"Everybody's got a clear mission who they report to, who their boss is, and then the mayor oversees it as the CEO of the city," added Gillis.
Gillis and Pike said the change does not give the mayor unlimited control — and Gillis was clear that it is not a superpower. There is still oversight from the city council, but the mayor can now take action without first checking in with part-time council members.
Pike said that personnel issues will now be dealt with in the form of an executive session.
Pike said the executive session process applies to hiring, firing, and promotions — not just terminations — and that even in a right-to-work state, just cause and facts are required before making changes to city employees.
"The mayor brings it to the council to begin with, and we do it in executive session," Pike said.
Gillis said he is glad the issue is now resolved and that the city can now focus on what matters. He flagged traffic, development, crime, law enforcement staffing, and fire department staffing as key priorities — including the proposed Costco development — and said the city needs to be thinking 10, 15, and 20 years into the future.
Gillis concluded by saying now is the time to look ahead, not behind.
