BEFORETHEBOARDOFETHICSFORTHECITYOFTACOMABoardofEthicsComplaintNos.2011-002and2011-003PRELIMINARYFINDINGS,CONCLUSIONSANDRECOMMENDEDDISPOSITIONOFBOARDOFETHICSIntheMatteroftheComplaintsAgainstMayorMarilynStrickland
I.
JURISDICTIONANDPROCEDURALHISTORY
1.1.ThisBoardofEthics(Board)hasjurisdictionoverthesemattersforpurposesofmakingfindingsoffact,conclusionsoflawandrecommendeddispositionpursuantto(Amended)TacomaMunicipalCode(TMC)1.46.045
F.1
1.2.OnMarch8,2011,theCityClerkreceivedane-mailfromJohnHathawayrequestingacomplaintbeopenedbasedonthecontentsoftheMarch8,2011,4:21pmblogposting
by
NewsTribunereporterLewisKamb,entitled"DidTacomamayor'striptoAsiaviolateethicsrules?"appearingathttp://blog,thenewstribune.com/politics/2011/03/08/did-tacoma-mayors-china-trip-violate-ethics-rules/.Thee-mailisappended
1
TheCityofTacomaCodeofEthics,Chapter1.46TMCwasamendedbyOrdinance27973,effectivedateMarch21,2011.BecausetheconductthatisthesubjectoftheseComplaintsoccurredpriortotheeffectivedateoftheamendment,theBoardconsideredtheallegationscontainedinthecomplaintsaccordingtothetypesofconductprohibitedinthepriorversionoftheCodeofEthicsatformerTMC1.46.030.However,theamendedCodeisapplicabletodefinetheprocessfortheBoard'sevaluationofcomplaints;thereforethesePreliminaryFindingsConclusionsandRecommendedDispositioncontaincitationstoboththeamendedCodeandthepriorCode.PRELIMINARYFINDINGS,CONCLUSIONSANDRECOMMENDEDDISPOSITIONOFBOARDOFETHICSCOMPLAINTNOS.2011-002AND2011-003-1
hereasExhibitA.Mr.Hathaway'se-mailwasprocessedasacomplaintallegingaviolationoftheCodeofEthicsbyMayorMarilynStricklandandwasassignedComplaintNo.2011-002andforwardedtotheBoardofEthicsonMarch9,2011forconsiderationbytheBoard.1.3.OnMarch11,2011,theCityClerkreceivedaletterfromRobertRandle,alsoreferencingLewisKamb'sarticleregardingMayorStrickland'striptoAsiaasappearedintheMarch9,2011editionoftheNewsTribuneandrequestingtheEthicsBoardlookintothematterofwhetherMayorStrickland'sacceptanceoffrequentflyermilesfromMr.RonChowconstitutedabreachofethicslawsregardingacceptanceofgifts.TheletterisappendedhereasExhibitB.Mr.Randle'sletterwasalsoprocessedasacomplaintallegingaviolationoftheCodeofEthicsbyMayorMarilynStricklandandwasassignedComplaintNo.2011-003andforwardedtotheBoardofEthicsonMarch14,2011forconsiderationbytheBoard.1.4.TheBoardinitiallyconsideredComplaints2011-002and2011-003inanadjudicativesessionofadulynoticedSpecialMeetingonMarch24,2011anddeterminedthatfurtherinformationwasnecessarytobepresentedfortheBoardtodetermineifaviolationoftheCodeofEthicshadoccurred.(Amended)TMC1.46.045F(2)(b)(ii).1.5.TheBoardfurtherconsideredComplaints2011-002and2011-003inanadjudicativesessionofadulynoticedSpecialMeetingonMarch31,2011andfinalizedtheprecisenatureoftheadditionalinformationtheBoarddeemednecessaryinordertodetermineifaviolationoftheCodeofEthicshadoccurred.(Amended)TMC1.46.045F(2)(b)(ii).1.6.InordertoestablishthefactualrecordnecessarytodeterminewhetheraviolationoftheCodeofEthicshadoccurredtheBoardconductedaninvestigationintheformofwritteninterrogatoriesissuedtoMayorStrickland,toMr.RonChowandalsointheformofasetofwrittenquestionsandrequestsforcertainpublicallyavailableinformationtobegatheredbyCityStaffandprovidedtotheBoard.1.7.Thewritteninterrogatoriesandthesworntestimonycontainedtherein,togetherwithinformationrequestedtobegatheredbyStaff,arethebasesofthePreliminaryFindingsofFactcontainedinSectionIIbelow.ThewritteninterrogatoriesandresponsesofMayorStrickland,ofMr.ChowandtheinformationprovidedbyCityStaffinresponsetotheBoard'srequestsaredeemedtheBoard'srecordofthismatterandareappendedtothisOrderasExhibitsC(Strickland),
0
(Chow)andE(CityStaff).
PRELIMINARYFINDINGS,CONCLUSIONSANDRECOMMENDEDDISPOSITIONOFBOARDOFETHICSCOMPLAINTNOS.2011-002AND2011-003-2
1.8.TheBoardfurtherconsideredComplaintsNo.2011-002and2011-003togetherwiththerecordofthismatterduringdeliberationsconductedduringanadjudicativesessionofadulynoticedSpecialMeetingonApril27,2011.1.9.Followingitsdeliberations,andforthereasonscontainedinthesePreliminaryFindingsofFactandPreliminaryConclusionsofLaw,theBoardreachedadeterminationonComplaints2011-002and2011-003thattherecordestablishesasingleviolationoftheCodeofEthicsbyMayorStrickland.1.10.Pursuantto(Amended)TMC1.46.045F3(a)
(ii),
theFindingsandConclusionsissuedhereinarePreliminaryinorderthatMayorStricklandmay,atheroption,andwithintendaysofreceiptofthesePreliminaryFindingsandConclusions,requestahearingbeforetheBoardofEthicstopresentanyadditionaltestimony,statementsordocumentaryevidenceasmayberelevant.FollowinganysuchhearingtheBoardofEthicswillissueFindings,ConclusionsastowhethertheCodeofEthicshasbeenviolatedandaRecommendedDispositionifapplicable.(Amended)TMC1.46.045F5.1.11.IntheeventMayorStricklanddoesnottimelyrequestahearingbeforetheBoardofEthicsunder(Amended)TMC1.46.045F3(a)(ii),thesePreliminaryFindingsandConclusionsoftheBoardofEthicsshallbecomethefinalFindingsandConclusionsoftheBoardofEthicsandshallbeforwardedtotheCityCouncilalongwiththeBoard'srecommendedDispositioncontainedhereinfortheCityCouncil'sconsiderationasdirectedby(Amended)TMC1.46.045F6.1.12.ThefactsfoundbytheBoardhereinarebyapreponderanceoftheevidencebeforetheBoard.
II.PRELIMINARYFINDINGSOFFACT
2.1.StartingFebruary,24,2011MayorMarilynStricklandtraveledfromSeattletoSeoul,SouthKorea,Shanghai,ChinaandFuzhou,China,returningonMarch6,2011toSeattle.2.2.MayorStrickland'stripwasinhercapacityasMayorofTacomawiththegoalofpromotingeconomicdevelopmentandtourismopportunitiesinTacomatobusinessandgovernmentandothercivicleadersintheplannedAsiandestinations.
PRELIMINARYFINDINGS,CONCLUSIONSANDRECOMMENDEDDISPOSITIONOFBOARDOFETHICSCOMPLAINTNOS.2011-002AND2011-003-3
Search History:
Result 00 of 00
00 results for result for
p.
Ethic Board Findings on Strickland
Tacoma Board of Ethics findings and conclusions on ethics complaints against Mayor Marilyn Strickland's use of flier miles for Asian trip.
413
Reads
0
Readcasts
0
Embed Views
More From This User
Notes
Load more
