Sunday's Freeman Story: "City Ethics Panel Inactive"

By PAUL KIRBY
Freeman staff

KINGSTON – A Republican candidate for mayor says if elected she would insist on more active role for a Board of Ethics that has not met in a decade.

Alderwoman Andi Turco-Levin said she wants the Board of Ethics to do what it is, in part, charged to do and that is to review matters and make recommendations.

“It is troubling,” said Turco-Levin, referring to the lack of activity on the part of the Board of Ethics.

According to Mayor James Sottile there is a bona fide Board of Ethics but it only required, under the city charter, to meet to deal with ethics complaints that are filed.

In the 10 years that he has been mayor Sottile said that there have been no official ethics violations made so there has been no reason for the board to meet.

However, Sottile said the Board of Ethics can get together to occasionally do revisions and make recommendations. As far has he knows, Sottile said, that hasn’t been done.

“They are not a group that goes in and investigates unless they get accusations of unethical (behavior) and there has been none of that,” Sottile said.

Turco-Levin, R-Ward 1, is the Republican-nominated candidate for mayor. She is also the minority leader of the Common Council.

In a press release, the alderwoman said that she pledged to establish the Board of Ethics. She said that Sottile’s administration had not “enforced” the provisions in the city charter.

Turco-Levin said she is concerned that “a cloud hangs over City Hall due to the number of lawsuits and ongoing investigations of city employees.”

“I am concerned that the current mayor and his administration did nothing to enforce provisions in the city charter empowering the mayor to appoint a board which would provide an ethical guideline for the official conduct of all city employees.”

My Comment:
Although no 'formal complaint' had been filed to trigger a meeting of the Ethics Board, I would like to point out that there has been a sexual harrasment lawsuit, overtime abuse, and according to a recent school audit there may be other issues to consider. This is unacceptable.