24-05-2025
Terra Alta council approves 2025-26 budget and acknowledges recorders resignation
May 23—TERRA ALTA — During a special meeting Thursday evening members of the Terra Alta Town Council approved the 2025-26 fiscal year budget, but on Friday morning, the town's recorder submitted her resignation.
In a post on the town's Facebook page, Mikaela Bernard submitted a formal letter of resignation to the town addressing the mayor and town council.
In her post, Bernard stated she is stepping down from the position due to a multitude of reasons, one of which being the missing of the 2025-26 budget deadline.
"With the missed deadline of the budget and now that I have all accurate and true information surrounding what needs to be done to attempt to solve what can be solved, I do not feel I can personally meet the obligations and the time and work requirement that will be necessary to do so due to my employment and having a new baby at home, " Bernard said.
Bernard noted she did not know until May 12 that the budget needed to be completed, stating she was notified while working on matters leading to the upcoming municipal election.
"But that's no excuse as my job as recorder I should have made sure to know this and know every aspect of the position, " she said.
Bernard became recorder in 2023 as an official write-in candidate. Then-recorder Josh Dodge resigned from the post in April 2023, but his name remained on the ballot for the June municipal election. Dodge received 124 votes, and Bernard had 40.
Bernanrd's statement noted the position of town recorder needed to be a full-time position.
"My hope is that someone who has the ability and the time to do what needs to be done can be appointed to the position, " Bernard said. "I do not want to be in a position taking up space when I now know what needs to be done and I do not have the ability to fulfill it."
An appointment may be unlikely, as the recorder position is on the ballot for the June 10 municipal election that will take place before the next town council meeting.
