Government Shake-up in Mountain View

In addition to the planned change of elected officials in the Mountain View municipal government after the June 2 election, two significant appointed personnel changes took place after the City Council meeting in Mountain View on June 8. The new Board of Aldermen, and newly elected Mayor Donnie Pruett, adjourned their first meeting as a group into closed session after the open session agenda items were completed. 

In an interview, Mayor Pruett told Howell County News that the City Clerk, Willa Kramer, confirmed her retirement during the closed session. The council unanimously elected Courtney McDaniels as the new City Clerk. 

In the same closed session, the council determined they “no longer needed the services of [Mike] Wake [as City Administrator],” said Mayor Pruett. 

He added there was “strong approval” for the change, and that the decision was unanimous. 

For the time being, Mayor Pruett himself is taking on the day-to-day duties of the City Administrator, though the City is hoping to hire a certified accountant to lighten the load. Pruett intends to “run the town more like it used to be” with “few decisions made without the consent of the council.”

Mayor Pruett plans to address the City’s infrastructure needs and apply aggressively for more grants for state and federal help. 

“My constituents felt the town was headed in a wrong direction,” Mayor Pruett explained, “They put their faith in me to try to turn it around and get away from the operation of government with one man running the whole show.”