The ethics board chief advisors
I am amazed that in such a small town that we have such huge egos and arrogance by the few in power;
The Sioux Falls City Council wants to make the ethics complaint process more public and give the Board of Ethics less authority to impose penalties as it works to amend city law.
Right now, the board has the authority to impose several penalties on city officials or employees if they are found to be in the wrong.
The penalties include a reprimand, suspension or removal from office or a fine.
“They serve as the prosecutor and the judge at the same time,” Councilor Kenny Anderson Jr. said Monday at the council’s Public Service Committee meeting.
Oh, but wait, even though Kenny is right, and it is LEGAL, the boo-hoo ethics board doesn’t want you to think it is all their fault.
Chairman Michael McKnight said the board simply was following the city ordinance.
“We are the favorite whipping boy. What can we say? There’s not much we can say about the specific incident because the process is confidential,” McKnight said.
That is just it. Instead of just responding to the one complaint about the city employee addresses they went on a ‘fishing expedition’ and tried to find other ethics violations against Dr. Staggers. This WAS political, and it so f’ing obvious that heads should role. I mean, C’mon, these people are volunteers, boot their asses. The job of a GOOD and FAIR ethics board is to look into complaints and make recommendations. That’s it. Seems pretty simple to me. Instead, they have the city attorney’s office and their TOADS digging up empty graves like no tomorrow.
Huether and the council need to remove everyone from the ethics board and city attorney’s office and start fresh.
“They serve as the prosecutor and the judge at the same time,†Councilor Kenny Anderson Jr. said
Absolutely true. When, like citizens, they’re exposed to lack of due process, maybe they’ll realize Home Rule dictatorship is a problem.
This year, citizens can’t report city employees. Prior, the mayor assigned a 4 person board separate from the city and union. Now, the mayor nor directors can do anything. Just another ordinance altered by ‘The Toad’. Unprofessional city employees are permissable and potential ax murderers.
The council should join with citizens and demand democratic ethics and due process procedures.
In democracy everyone’s vote counts. In Sioux Falls, the only vote is Count Huether.