The mayor of a small southwest Iowa town has prevailed in his third legal skirmish of the year. Judge Greg Steensland Wednesday dismissed a petition to remove Hamburg Mayor Terry Holliman from office.
The petition was filed by the Iowa Attorney General’s office and was based upon a special audit of the city’s finances, which uncovered nearly $50,000 in allegedly improper or undocumented expenses.
In his decision, Judge Steensland said the mayor of the Fremont County community has already been acquitted of felony theft charges in connection with theft of $2,000 in cash and alleged misappropriated funds amounting to $15,000 for the purchase of metal culverts. Steensland said the State failed to prove that any misconduct by Holliman was intentional.
In April, Holliman was acquitted on theft charges, and charges of misdemeanor animal abuse were dismissed in July. The mayor says he plans to take legal action against those involved in prosecuting him, to recoup his and the city’s legal fees.