Dempster’s death leaves city without an attorney
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Dempster, who served as city attorney since 1974, was still the active chief legal advisor at the time of his death. His passing leaves the city without legal representation.
“One of the great bedstones to my years in office, both in the 1980s and now in the 21st century, was Mr. Dempster because I knew I could always rely on him for the right answer,” said McMinnville Mayor Royce Davenport. “He was always very thorough and the answer he gave was always right.”
Davenport said a wealth of knowledge about municipal law and the specifics of local measures and ordinances were lost with Dempster’s passing.
“He knew a lot about laws and ordinances which had been passed over the past decades because he was a part of them,” Davenport said. “In some instances he helped write the law or contracts.”
Given the fact the city will need legal representation, Davenport said he will exercise his duty as mayor and appointment a temporary attorney until a permanent city attorney can be found. Davenport said he does not know who the temporary attorney will be, noting he would like someone who had worked along with Dempster over the years.
On a more permanent basis, Davenport said he will discuss with aldermen who they will hire permanently. Davenport said the city will likely send out letters to all the local attorneys to gauge who is interested.
Interviews will then be held and a vote will determine who is hired.
As far as qualifications, Davenport said he would like to see a local attorney hired for the role. He would also like to see someone with knowledge of municipal law. A time frame for the hiring of a new city attorney has not been set.