Members of Meade County Fiscal Court met during a special called meeting Thursday (4/4) evening to discuss issues related to the ethics board.
The court approved the reappointments of Johnny Thomas and Patrick Hoke to the Ethics Board. They also discussed possible issues raised by County Attorney Sydney Durham regarding conflicts of interest that could arise if the Ethics Board has to deeply investigate a ethics complaint against an elected official. Currently, the county attorney’s office stores the required files and provides legal guidance for Ethics Board. Durham said she wasn’t comfortable to be place in a potential situation where if a the board found validity to a complaint of an elected official which she works with upon a frequent basis, that would place her or her office in a conflict of interest due to the fact that must represent Fiscal Court.
Durham suggested Fiscal Court amend the procedures of the board for better streamlining and in the event of a valid complaint was founded by the board then they would request Fiscal Court to hire a separate attorney from the Meade County Bar Association to represented the ethics board. Durham offered an estimate cap of $1,500 for ten billable hours for legal counsel selected by the board to review the pending complaint. The board would have to ask Fiscal Court for an attorney on a case by case basis.
After a lengthy discussion, magistrates approved the recommendation. They also approved news storage system of a secured file cabinet to be placed in the courthouse basement with a specific key to be used only by the ethics board members. Approval was granted by magistrates to setup a specific email address to allow complaints to be submitted to the Ethics Board. The email will be monitored by the board chairperson, vice chairperson, and the board secretary.
After the vote, County Attorney Durham provided Board Chairman Patrick Hoke the ethic board documents. The Ethics Board will meet at 6 pm Monday, April 8 to discuss organizational items approved by the fiscal court and review a ethics complaint.
In other business, magistrates unanimously approved a retro active grade pay scale amendment.
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