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Commissioner Jim Earle resigns after dispute over handling of Watts appeal
Summary
During a June 16 special meeting, Commissioner Jim Earle denied an allegation that he promised the mayor to withhold case information, offered to resign if perceived as conflicted, and then announced his resignation; the commission moved to post a vacancy and later cancelled a June 18 workshop.
Commissioner Jim Earle announced his resignation and left a June 16 special meeting of the Chewelah Civil Service Commission after a dispute with fellow commissioners about the handling of records in the appeal of David Watts.
During a discussion the commission added to the agenda as "Discussion Regarding Civil Service Records," Commissioner Earle summarized a timeline drawn from police reports and said some investigative material had not been adequately addressed at the appeal hearing. Commissioner Carra Nupp said that at the April 7, 2026 meeting Commissioner Earle had claimed to possess new information and had promised the Mayor not to share it until an appeal was requested, which Nupp said raised concerns about undue influence. Commissioner Earle denied the assertion and said he had disclosed the same information in commission meetings; he told colleagues he would resign if they believed he had created a conflict, and then announced his resignation and left the meeting.
After Earle departed, the remaining commissioners unanimously directed Secretary Charles Martin to post notice of the vacancy. They also voted to cancel the Civil Service workshop scheduled for June 18, 2026 to allow time to resolve the litigation and to recruit a new commissioner. The minutes record no additional comment from Commissioner Earle after his announcement.
