Mayor Calls for Conflict of Interest Evaluation on All City Council Members
Last night, Menifee City Mayor Wallace Edgerton called for a conflict of interest evaluation on all city council members in light of recent ...
http://www.menifee247.com/2011/04/mayor-calls-for-conflict-of-interest.html
Last night, Menifee City Mayor Wallace Edgerton called for a conflict of interest evaluation on all city council members in light of recent complaints against city councilmember Darcy Kuenzi.
At the city council meeting yesterday, residents lined up to speak out against Kuenzi, some calling for her resignation, charging that her employment with 5th District Supervisor Marion Ashley creates a conflict of interest with her position as city councilmember.
Former city councilmember Scott Mann took the podium to describe what sounded like election fraud in Kuenzi's recent seating on the Southern California Association of Governments.
When all the public comments ceased, the Mayor offered to have the city's attorney conduct evaluations on all city councilmembers to determine if there were any conflicts of interest present.
Kuenzi responded by saying she had already been evaluated as such, and that it was determined her position with the County did not conflict with her duties on the Menifee City Council, and could produce a letter to prove it.
"Nothing has changed in the past three years", Kuenzi noted, going on to say that since her evaluation, she's still working for Ashley, still a city councilmember, still has the same campaign donors, and thus questioned the need to spend city funds to conduct another evaluation.
After conferring with the city's attorney, Fred Twyman offered a motion to put the evaluation on a future meeting agenda. The Mayor called for second, but no one else seconded, therefore the Mayor offered a second.
In the meantime, the city attorney will determine the costs and protocol in conducting an evaluation of all city councilmembers, and will present her findings at the next city council meeting, and there it'll likely be voted on.
At the city council meeting yesterday, residents lined up to speak out against Kuenzi, some calling for her resignation, charging that her employment with 5th District Supervisor Marion Ashley creates a conflict of interest with her position as city councilmember.
Former city councilmember Scott Mann took the podium to describe what sounded like election fraud in Kuenzi's recent seating on the Southern California Association of Governments.
When all the public comments ceased, the Mayor offered to have the city's attorney conduct evaluations on all city councilmembers to determine if there were any conflicts of interest present.
Kuenzi responded by saying she had already been evaluated as such, and that it was determined her position with the County did not conflict with her duties on the Menifee City Council, and could produce a letter to prove it.
"Nothing has changed in the past three years", Kuenzi noted, going on to say that since her evaluation, she's still working for Ashley, still a city councilmember, still has the same campaign donors, and thus questioned the need to spend city funds to conduct another evaluation.
After conferring with the city's attorney, Fred Twyman offered a motion to put the evaluation on a future meeting agenda. The Mayor called for second, but no one else seconded, therefore the Mayor offered a second.
In the meantime, the city attorney will determine the costs and protocol in conducting an evaluation of all city councilmembers, and will present her findings at the next city council meeting, and there it'll likely be voted on.
I agree with the mayor. We need to keep a good eye on all city people, we don't want to have happen here in Menifee that Bell is going thru now.
ReplyDeleteAll persons who are in the public service areas, as our council members are, should be transparent and be evaluated for conflict of interests. This will expose some of the corrupt individuals and give warning that our city will not tolerate the interest conflicts.
ReplyDeleteA recent article in the Press Enterprise about redistricting states:
ReplyDelete“Jeff Stone's 3rd District grew the most in the past 10 years and must shed nearly 80,000 residents. The committee's draft shows the district giving up Menifee to Ashley's district.”
Will this create a conflict for Councilwoman Kuenzi?