St. Marys, Georgia. The Camden County Tribune & Georgian Newspaper local news source. – Mayor ignores ethics complaint

It has been more than 70 days since Kingsland resident Don Mounsey filed an ethics complaint against city council member Daniel Minckler.

And the city has yet to act.

“There’s been no action taken,” Mayor Kenneth Smith said Tuesday.

The city’s own ethics ordinance requires that a three-person ethics board call a hearing within 60 days of receiving a complaint. That’s going to be difficult in Kingsland because, well, there is no ethics board. Nor was one appointed after Smith officially received Mounsey’s complaint on Jan. 21.

Nor has Minckler been given a copy of the complaint, according to Smith, though the ordinance requires the city do so within seven days of receiving the complaint.

Minckler said that he received a letter and a copy of the complaint from the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission, not the city, on Jan. 27. Thinking the claim had been passed up to the state, Minckler thought the matter had been settled, he said.

Mounsey also filed his complaint with the state but was told the state commission only handles financial violations, Mounsey told council Monday.

“I did receive a copy of the violation. I am obviously aware of the violation,” Minckler said Wednesday. “… I am aware that it went to the secretary of the state’s office.”

via St. Marys, Georgia. The Camden County Tribune & Georgian Newspaper local news source. – Mayor ignores ethics complaint.