I UPDATED THIS ENTIRE POST, because I apparently am a dumbass and did not read the quote correctly
It doesn’t surprise me that an ethics complaint against councilor Staggers was filed only a few days before the city election (somebody was playing politics) and it also does not surprise me that it was found to have no merit;
City Clerk Debra Owen said “a former city councilor” had a complaint filed against him, which the Board of Ethics found to have no merit. But the ethics board instructed him not to speak publicly about it.
That could be a whole sleugh of people. If we are only talking about someone on the last council, that would narrow it down to Costello, Knudson or Beninga. My assumption would be that it would not have been Costello (since he was running against Staggers) so that means it would be Beninga or Knudson, which is a possibility.
My educated guess (and I have had ZERO conversations about this with Staggers – like he said in the article, he will not discuss) is that Darrin Smith filed the complaint. As it is well known, Smith cried to Stormland TV news about Kermit’s (supposed) junkets that he took while councilor because none of the other councilors would take the trips.
I have learned this, it WAS someone involved with one of the mayoral campaigns.
But like I said above, it is a huge mystery because ANYBODY can file a ethics ‘complaint’ but citizens can no longer file ‘opinions’.
What is not a mystery is that the rules were changed since I asked for an ethics ‘opinion’ When I asked for an opinion I had to fill out a form that asked me if I was okay with my name being public or not, I could have chosen for it NOT to be public, but I try to roll with the ‘transparency’ thingy. It is also not a mystery that Mayor Munson asked for a ethics opinion on Staggers when he was assisting the Drake Springs pool petition drive, another ethics issue that was found to have no merit.
This goes back to that whole ‘transparency’ thingy that politicians love to talk about during campaigns but quickly forget about once they are elected. But at least they are looking at it;
Councilors discussed amending the ordinance to make the process more public.
Anything. And I repeat ANYTHING that public officials do should be made public. Period. I understand that some things can not be talked about until after a change is made – and that is acceptable, but since this is a done deal, I see no reason to keep it a secret.
I’ve sought twice to complaint against the code enforcer. Either time, it was steered to the city attorney’s office where it disappeared. However one complaint (never addressed) became an exhibit in court. Code Section 30 covers complaints. It’s supposed to be a separate (outside from city authority) matter handled by the mayor and the civil service union.
It’s important to protect citizens from the ‘night club bouncer’ code enforcer. City personnel shields him. When he attacks someone, I’ll be there with evidence to testify and the city will have major liability.
City procedures are conducted according to the mayor’s disgression. I suspect the complaint originated from Monster Munson.
It’s Home Rule Charter tyranny. I hope citizens will some day realize there must be a return to constitutional democracy. A fundamental right is ‘faced by your accuser’. Staggers was denied this right. We should be more upset the city denys constitutional rights than a few questionable expenses.
The article states that a former city councilor had a complaint filed against him not that a former councilor filed the complaint. Owen did not state who it was, but Staggers confirmed it was him when reached at home.
It fits that Smith filed it, might’ve been part of his quid pro quo to get hinself his new gig.
No way Pat filed it, not his style at all.
I keep waiting to get a ticket from the ridiculous red light camera. I go through that intersection at least twice a day and it’s bound to happen some day.
When it does happen, I plan to subpeona the camera (my accuser). When it doesn’ show up in court to face me, I’ll win the case.
Dude, I’m sure someone from the city could defend the camera’s fifth amendment privilege against self-incrimination from your lesser right to confront your accuser.
Megan- Thanks for the clarification, I misread. But as I understand the rules regular citizens can’t file complaints anymore? Don’t you have to be a city official or employee of the city? I’m confused by that.
If you bother to read the quote from Debra Owen:
City Clerk Debra Owen said “a former city councilor†had a complaint filed against him”.
Notice the word “AGAINST”. That doesn’t mean a former councilor submitted it. It could have been a current councilor, former councilor, or an employee of the city. Before you jump to conclusions, perhaps you should read and interpret the quote.
L3wis: “Anything. And I repeat ANYTHING that public officials do should be made public. Period.”
Perhaps you actually mean to say anything they do in a public capacity rather than simply anything. Because I really don’t need a twitter update every time a city council member drops a duece or I don’t really care to have a report on what the mayor ate for lunch.
I understand your intention, but there are some things that simply don’t need to be made public. The gigantic waste of time and energy to document everything and provide it to the taxpayers simply isn’t efficient. When you are talking about spending more than $500 or discussing potential changes to city law etc then by all means open up the floodgates – but there has to be a line somewhere.
Case in point – you don’t want the Mayor to have to provide a detailed summary of all of the CEOs he has met with over the past 30 days because if he is trying to attract companies to Sioux Falls those companies would surely wish to keep that information confidential. Imagine the shitstorm if a local newspaper contacted XYZ company from Mankato and told the 68 employees they were all about to lose their jobs because the company is being relocated to Sioux Falls.
Yea that wouldn’t create any problems at all now would it. The first time that happened would be the last time we would ever be talking to business owners… and that is merely one example to show how sometimes things do actually need to be done behind closed doors.
Agreed. I’m just saying, Staggers is no longer a councilor and the mayoral election is over.
1) who filed the complaint?
2) What was its nature?
Simple Kindergarten constitutional shit.
Sure I’d like to know who filed the complaint, but don’t we also need to protect whistleblowers by ensuring their anonymity is protected? How many people would keep quiet if they knew their names would be released and plastered all over the Argus and dirt dug up on them on every blog that happens to support that specific candidate etc?
Don’t we also need to protect the accused by not commenting on the complaint unless it is found to have merit? Imaging the political grandstanding that would be done if all complaints were released to the public even if there was no truth to them. All a candidate would have to do is have some friends make false accusations against their opponents right before every election and by the time the accusations are proven to have no merit the election is long over and the damage done.
Now IF the accusation has merit, by all means that needs to be a matter of public record, but I don’t see the need to drag someone through the mud just because someone had their feelings hurt. There is just far too much room for abuse if everything is public.
You really have to think this stuff through.