Swanson was not at the meeting, and city council is not able to fire him.

Rather, the vote signifies a lack of confidence in Swanson continuing on as mayor, with multiple councilors saying allegations against him have distracted them from city business for six months.

Monday’s special council meeting was called to “discuss and consider addressing concerns regarding Mayor Chris Swanson.”

The room was full, with others watching the meeting over Zoom.

Critics have been vocal over Swanson’s possible conflicts of interest involving the use of his political position to benefit his business interests.

The city attorney has confirmed the allegations to be true in some instances, which violates city code.

Councilors spoke before their vote on Monday night on how these allegations have reflected on the city.

“We have work that needs to be done, and for the last six months that has been nearly impossible for our city to move forward on anything,” councilor Robin Glaser said. “It is going to take years for future councilors and administrations to clear up this mess and to make Two Harbors respected again in the state and across the country. If the mayor truly cares about the community, he would step down and let the healing begin.”

Some other councilors shared similar thoughts.

“In the best interest of the city, we can’t just continue on because all of our focus hasn’t been where it needs to be,” councilor Miles Woodruff said. “We’ve had to focus on this for six months and it’s one issue after another, and we can’t put it to rest. I’d like to function as a city and get back to the things that we’re all put here to do.”

FOX21 reached out to Mayor Swanson for comment on Monday night after the meeting, but he did not return our message.

He will face a recall election this August after choosing not to resign.

To see the original report and read related stories, follow this link to the Fox 21 News website.