Soap Lake city council: no-confidence vote in mayor

SOAP LAKE — Soap Lake city council members on Wednesday unanimously expressed a vote of no confidence in Mayor Peter Sharp, saying they had lost trust in his ability to lawfully and ethically fulfill the duties of his public office.

A resolution summarizing their concerns was approved by council members Andrew Arnold, Kayleen Bryson, John Carlson, Susan Carson, and Judith Gorman.

Sharp reportedly did not comment on the resolution during Wednesday’s meeting, and he did not reply to an email request from GCJ.news Thursday afternoon.

Arnold had individually called upon Sharp to resign as mayor during a Feb. 4 council meeting. At the time, Sharp indicated he had no intention of stepping down but instead encouraged council members and the public to contact him regarding any issues or concerns.

The resolution is advisory and has no specific legal authority. But in the document, the council directed city staff to transmit certified copies to the mayor and to the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, Washington State Attorney General, and Washington State Auditor. And it calls for the city clerk to preserve all records, financial statements, and communications “relevant to the matters identified in this Resolution, and to cooperate fully with all investigating agencies as required by law.”

The council resolution alleges that Sharp has secretly recorded city employees and made expenditures or gifted public funds without council authorization, and that the sheriff’s office is investigating the allegations.  

“ … the existance of multiple ongoing investigations by independent law enforcement and state oversight agencies into the conduct of the mayor raises serious concerns about … (his) fitness to continue serving in the capacity of Mayor of the City of Soap Lake ….” the resolution states.

Such conduct, the resolution continued, undermines public trust in city government, damages Soap Lake’s reputation and credibility, and creates “significant uncertainty” regarding proper administration of city business.   

Sharp began a two-year unexpired term as mayor in January after he narrowly outpolled a write-in candidate — former council member Karen Woodhouse — in last November’s general election.

Sharp initially took office as a city councilman in January 2024, then was appointed interim mayor that August following the resignation of Allen DuPuy. In his mayoral campaign, Sharp pledged open, transparent government and financial stability for the community.

Over the past month, Soap Lake council members have heard both support and criticism of their public comments regarding the mayor’s performance and conduct. Some critics have suggested that they “step down” or “leave town.”

 At the council’s Feb. 18 meeting, Carson read a personal statement which said threats, intimidation, and attempts to silence elected officials “have no place in (the) community.”

“We were elected to serve this city — not to serve narratives, factions, or personal agendas,” she stated. “Our role is to review legislative policy, procedures, financial decisions, and administrative actions to ensure they align with the law and with the best interests of the entire community.”

Carson encouraged citizens to “remain engaged, informed, and respectful,” saying that “healthy debate strengthens democracy. Threats and intimidation weaken it.”

State auditors have been reviewing Soap Lake’s finances and government accountability processes as part of periodic municipal reviews. Recently, auditors issued a trio of reports that covered city finances for years 2021-23 —  prior to Sharp joining city government.

During that time period, auditors said the city filed its three year-end reports long after statutory deadlines and they contained errors regarding federal loan amounts, cash, and investments.

In response, the city said it had taken corrective action in late 2025 and earlier this year to address previous staff limitations and turnover by contracting for outside accounting services with municipal experience and knowledge of the state’s BARS (budgeting, accounting and reporting system).

“The City is committed to full implementation of all planned corrective actions and anticipates completion by (fourth quarter) 2026,” Soap Lake said in its reply to auditors.

State audit reviews for 2024 and 2025 are still pending.