By DOUG NURSE The Atlanta Journal-Constitution / http://www.ajc.com/Is it unethical for an elected official to endorse a candidate for office? It appears to be an open question in the City of Milton.City Councilwoman Karen Thurman said that the Mayor Joe Lockwood and fellow Councilwoman Tina D'Aversa violated the city ethics code by making public endorsements of council candidates in the November election.
But, Thurman said, it's the code that's messed up, not the mayor or D'Aversa. In an e-mail to the Milton Ethics Board in late January, Thurman wrote, "My interpretation of [the ethics code] would lead me to conclude that I as a council person cannot endorse any candidate for not only the City of Milton elections but for any election . . . Personally, I believe that I should be able to publicly endorse a candidate using my title as a Milton City Council member..."
Thurman said the purpose of the letter was to point out a defect in the ethics code, and to ask the ethics board to revisit the ordinance.
She wrote that Lockwood violated the ordinance with an advertisement in a local newspaper endorsing a slate of candidates in November. She also wrote that D'Aversa ran afoul of the law by making automated telephone calls to voters urging them to vote for specific candidates. She said she only mentioned it because the ethics ordinance requires council members to report any possible ethics violations.
Thurman emphasized in a follow-up e-mail Monday that the original e-mail was not intended as an official complaint. However, by mentioning it at all, she started the complaint process. The report by Thurman doesn't obligate the ethics board to launch an investigation or formal proceedings, but it will appear on a Feb. 25 agenda of the board, which will decide then whether to pursue it, said city attorney Ken Jarrard.
23 comments:
What a joke! Thurman endorsed Mohrig in this last election in e-mails to citizens. Both she and Lusk endorsed Mohrig in the Milton Beacon. Lusk had a "Anybody But Bailey" sign in his yard. Two more years, Karen and Bill, and you will out of there! We know you can't wait . . . just know that we can't either. Don't quit your day jobs!
This is distressing. More politic playing and more destruction to an already "damaged" City Hall. When are you all going to grow up and either play fair or get out of office? Have you ever heard the phrase - the one who smelt it dealt it. This stinks real bad.
Erase all the ethics complaints, which are ALL FRIVOLOUS and POLITICALLY motivated, every single one of them and let's start over with a clean slate and play fair.
Doug Nurse, when are you going to report something positive about Milton? You add fuel to the fire. You're becoming a cheap news stand sensationalist. Is the AJC becoming "Star" magazine. Or perhaps the Soap Opera Digest.
Oh Karen, you have been successful in making that terrible Mayor and councilmember D"Aversa look bad, and proven how wonderful you really are?.................NOT!
Why do you not have time to come to meetings, but you have time to do this?
Oy Vey, here we go again....
For crying out loud - I'm going to go and smudge City Hall. Someone bring the Holy water. We had better hurry. Maybe a Feng Shui master too. Anyone know one?
P.S.
When good news is made in Milton, which is rare, feel sure Doug Nurse will report it...after all he is just the messenger. So when he reports unfavorable news, just like above, you want to shoot the "messenger". Might be better to look at the maker of bad news rather than the messenger...dont you think?
You are right. When a doctor removes just part of a cancer, then what is left continues with no good.
I'm sure its better without O'Brien and Mohrig, but we still have 2 bad apples left.
I heard that the gang of four had a meeting where they officially handed off the "RJ" title from O'Brien to Thurman. She is certainly taking advantage of it.
This shows where her priorities are, cant she focus on something productive for the community?
Karen & Bill - warning - there are pictures of you both endorsing candidates on election day... think before you and your cronies act.
I wish everyone would spend their time looking for the lost beagle and give politics a rest.
Take out "Argues Milton's Ethics Code" out of this headline.
The beagle is the missing link.
That's a great line: Council Woman is Messed Up. Who thought of that one? LOL
She is a piece of work,isn't she!
Joe and Julie have gotten the council and Milton government just like they want it. They fired the attorney, ran off the ethics board member and a few employees. Any intelligent Milton citizens should be extremely concerned at this point! No one to question their actions just makes for poor government. We will no longer have intelligent debates over the best course of action for our beautiful town.
You've got to be kidding me. How could Julie and Joe do all this when there are 5 other members on the council. Are they robots? Don't they have a voice? I don't think you should insult the two new guys by saying there will be no more intelligent debates. It's insulting to the community of Milton as well.
Joe, Julie, along with Burt, Tina, and Alan will run the show, as long as Thurman and Lusk miss the meetings!
No more sneakiness!
The ethics board member leftbecause of the stunt Karen Thurman tried to pull with the ordinance, which backfired on her bigtime. Does she realize how bad she makes Milton look?
Get a copy of the resignation letter and read the part about the member loosing friends because of the association with Thurman. WOW!
By the way, only one attorney from the firm handling the city left, all others stayed!
Can we get a copy of Susan Campbell's resignation letter? Is this information made available to the public? Does anyone in our community already have a copy? Perhaps someone could get it and post what it says on this blog. It would interesting to know the "facts" of her resignation and not just hearsay.
Karen is too intelligent to be another follower. You go girl! Don't let them rule completely unchecked.
She is definitely not a "follower", but is very manipulated by some.
Not intelligent enough to not let her MO backfire! Is your name Bill?
It is refreshing that Karen stands her ground. We have enough people handpicked for submission.
Karen stands her ground. What a joke...Did you intend to say, Karen stands JJ's ground?
Who is JJ? A character from the cartoons you watch at lunchtime? Janet Jackson? Blog in English please. Must be a teenage texter.
I think they mean Jan Jones.
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