HAYDEN — Although Hayden is momentarily mayorless, it's continuing in its mission to serve the people.

"We’re moving forward and handling things as they come up," city administrator Brett Boyer said Tuesday. "We have a great staff here. There are a lot of great things happening in Hayden."

He said those in leadership in Hayden deeply care for their town.

"We have good people who have good hearts and care about the community," he said.

Mayor Steve Griffitts' last official day was Monday. As of his departure, Hayden City Council President Matt Roetter is serving as acting mayor.

Council members may choose to select Griffitts' replacement from within or invite community members who would like to serve in that role to throw their hats in the ring.

Boyer said the council may open it to the community. That discussion will take place Tuesday at the next council meeting.

"There will be more to come," Boyer said. "They do have several options. Indications are that they will probably open it up, but that will be decided Tuesday night.”

Roetter said he's not interested in taking on the role of mayor. His priorities are with his wife and family.

"I have six grandkids that are sixth generation Idahoan that live nearby. I love spending time with them going fishing and going on doughnut and ice cream dates," he said. "We are currently working on developing the process for appointing an interim mayor."

Roetter said he greatly appreciates Griffitts' leadership and commitment, especially for rising to the occasion during the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said change isn't always easy, but he would like to put the minds of Hayden citizens at ease.

"The city is in great shape to provide the municipal services required to maintain our beautiful city," Roetter said. "We have an outstanding city administrator, Brett Boyer, who previously held that position at the city of Rathdrum before coming to Hayden. He has almost two decades of experience.

"We also are fortunate to have incredible long-term staff that accomplishes all of the city's tasks. Our city is run extremely efficiently, by having a low levy property tax rate compared to most other Idaho cities. Our city is financially sound, and we have a bright future in our sites. In the very near future, we will have an interim mayor in place to help guide us."

Boyer said the city will continue to run just as it did prior to Griffitts' resignation.

"We need to continue to provide the services so when citizens wake up in the morning they can flush their toilets and drive on the roads,” Boyer said. "It’s unfortunate we’re losing a good mayor. He’s well known in the city and has done a great job. We’ll miss that leadership, but we move forward to serve the citizens of Hayden."

Hayden City Council meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 5 p.m. in Hayden City Hall, 8930 N. Government Way.