Your Hometown News Source
Your Hometown News Source
DAYTON–The City Council discussed a previously made request regarding the Columbia County Rural Library District annexation issue and heard a formal complaint of an alleged ethics violation at the February 13 meeting.
Katie Roughton of Dayton, who had asked the Council to address two topics relating to the Rural Library District at a meeting in January, again asked the Council consider adding the issue of annexation of the library district to the November ballot so city residents could vote on whether to remain annexed or not.
"If at any time you feel the City needs un-annexed or that the people need a vote, that is up to you," said Roughton. "If I was a City Council member, before doing this, I would do a better, in-depth workshop." She encouraged the City to investigate the trusts, the budget, and the necessity of the library for the taxpayers. She said it was never her intention to hurt the library, but to give a vote back to the city residents.
Mayor Roger Trump had suggested the [City] add the library topic to the regular agenda at the workshop on January 23, so that the public could weigh in on the conversation and more information could be brought to the Council. The topic of library annexation or Roughton's suggested ballot initiative was not on the February agenda.
Roughton also presented a formal complaint of possible ethics violations against City Councilperson Teeny McMunn, and asked that the complaint be placed on the record.
According to Roughton, McMunn allegedly violated several Council ethics rules when she spoke negatively about Roughton and other members of the community at a community meeting as a representative of the City Council.
"I came to this board, and I proposed an idea, and I asked you to look into it," said Roughton. "Now a known council member, Councilperson McMunn, was at the library meeting last week, and stood up and said I was trying to hurt the library."
Roughton stated the comments were recorded and she could provide that evidence to the Council. She added that McMunn also allegedly broke ethics codes and laws when she tried to present pamphlets from a local political action committee of which she is a member.
"Then coming to the work session, there were pamphlets from the very political group that Councilperson McMunn tried to hand out, which is highly illegal and goes against your code of ethics," asserted Roughton.
Mayor Trump had in the workshop meeting stopped McMunn from handing out the pamphlets stating, "I don't think we want that handed out at the City Council," Roughton claimed. "You can put it out on the street. I don't think it should be here."
She closed her statement by saying that the actions of Councilperson McMunn and the political group with which she is associated took what was said at City Council and, in her opinion, bullied the community at another meeting, making the public afraid to come forward with ideas. Roughton said she believes these were ethics violations and she expects the City Council to take action, before she goes further with it.
