GREEN RIVER — Green River City Councilman Gary Killpack urged residents Tuesday night not to vote for any candidates who support abolishing Green River’s city administrator form of government, though he did not name specific candidates.

Killpack’s comments drew pushback from a fellow council member and the mayor.

“I would ask … that anybody that’s running for Council and wants to get rid of the city administration form of government, do not vote for those people, do not do it,” Killpack said. “It will destroy and ruin the continuity of what’s going on for the City of Green River.”

Killpack said the city’s charter establishing the administrator form of government has been in place for around 40 years and credited it with the city’s stability, arguing that switching to a mayor-council form of government would upend how the city operates.

Killpack said he wanted to correct what he described as misinformation being spread ahead of the upcoming election following concerns residents raised earlier in the meeting about water and sewer rate increases and a recent city press release addressing what officials called rate rumors.

Councilwoman Jessica Maser interjected while Killpack was still speaking, to which Killpack responded, “It’s my floor.”

Mayor Pete Rust then pushed back on Killpack’s remarks, telling him the comments amounted to campaigning and were not appropriate in that setting.

“You’re kind of campaigning here,” Rust said. “That’s not okay to do here either.”

“I am, but I’m not campaigning,” Killpack responded in reference to the fact that his seat is up for election in November but he is not running.

“That’s very out of line, Garry,” Maser said. “Regardless of what side of that conversation you sit on, this is not the time or place.”

“Come and talk to me about it after the meeting,” Killpack responded.

The meeting adjourned shortly after.

Green River operates through a form of government that cedes the powers traditionally given to a city mayor and places them with a hired city administrator position that answers directly to the Council. Under the governmental form, Green River’s mayor and Council are mostly responsible for legislative duties such as policy policy creation and approving the city’s yearly budget, while the city administrator is responsible for ensuring the Council’s policies are implemented as well as overseeing the city’s operations. According to the city, the administrator form of government became popular at the turn of the 20th century due to an attempt to reform government and reduce impacts from so-called “big city bosses” and the corruption their power brought to cities.

The Green River mayor has all the powers of a Council member, but also makes recommendations for appointments to various advisory boards and signs all ordinances and bonds approved by the Council.

Green River has operated under the city administrator form of government since the approval of Charter Ordinance No. 1 in 1985. Multiple Wyoming cities, such as Cody, Gillette, and Sheridan, operate under a city administrator form of government. Meanwhile, Rock Springs continues to operate under the traditional “strong mayor” form of government.