Storm Brewing? Valley City Man Fights City Hall

A Valley City man who is petitioning to disband the police department is now going against city leaders.

Bob Drake says that he received a letter that the city is denying him to speak at this week’s city commission meeting.

Drake says that he believes his first amendment right is being violated.

The city’s attorney who rebutted and said that this would violate the due process clause, protected under the 5th and 14th amendment.

Valley City, a town of less than 7,000 people.

A town on the smaller side, but there’s a big storm brewing.

“The city commission is just corrupt. There is no other way to put it, when they lie, cheat and steal. Do whatever they have to do to keep me out of there. That’s what they’ll do,” says Valley City resident, Bob Drake.

Bob Drake says he was on the agenda to speak about terminating the police chief immediately.

He says he was scheduled to talk about how an October gun incident makes the city’s Police Chief Fred Thompson a threat to the city.

“I want this guy gone before he shoots somebody,” says Drake.

On Saturday, Drake got a letter in the mail stating a denial of his request to speak.

The letter says that the attorney Russell Myhre was “advised by City Administrator David Schelkoph that Drake was not only going to reference the gun pointing incident but also had indicated that Drake was going to allege “new” charges and allegations against the Chief.”

This rumor caused the city to deny Drake’s request.

On the other hand, city attorney Russell Myhre says that Drake was denied on what he believes would violate the due process rights for city employees.

“Like I said, if they have a complaint about the city, we certainly want to hear that. We don’t want to cut off that discussion. Nevertheless if there is a public employee involved we also have to be fair to that public employee and safe guard their rights as well. It becomes a balancing act,” says City Attorney, Russell Myhre.

To Drake, he wants to see the evidence that proves that he was going to go unscripted.

“I’m going to the commission meeting Tuesday and talk about this letter because this is an outright lie,” says Drake.

City attorney Myhre, says that if Drake will like to meet at a city commission meeting he needs to follow the rules and file a formal complaint.

The complaint will then be evaluated which can take up to 24 hours.

Drake says he still plans to practice his first amendment rights tomorrow at the meeting.