CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – The Clarksville City Council voted 9-3 this week to allow city employees to be reimbursed for legal fees defending themselves against ethics complaints. The three no votes came from council members Richard Garrett, Wanda Smith and David Allen.
To read the full ordinance, click here.
4 complaints on 7 officials
The new ordinance follows three complaints filed against City Attorney Lance Baker, Mayor Joe Pitts and council members sitting on the Finance Committee. They were filed by Jeff Robinson, owner of the Blackhorse Pub & Brewery and plaintiff in a longstanding lawsuit against the city. Robinson filed three complaints, naming seven city officials.
Pitts shared his belief that complaints filed by Robinson are a reaction to the lawsuit between Blackhorse and the city, calling them “inane.”
Robinson has since filed a fourth complaint, naming Pitts and Baker. The complaint accuses Pitts of voting for personal interest, deceiving the public and loss in impartiality.
A ‘simple’ amendment
Thursday night, Councilman Gary Norris added an amendment to the ordinance which he said “simplified” the matter and removed many of the concerns voiced to him by the public.
“I was very careful in listening to a lot of the comments that were made last month when we approved this on first reading,” said Norris. “I would like to take all of the wording out of the ordinance and make it very simple.”
The amendment removed wording that would allow city employees to seek an advance on legal fees.
The new wording says that “the City Council may, upon request of the City employee or official, reimburse such employee or official for such person’s legal and other related expenses.”
Norris further noted that the ordinance would only affect future cases and not any pending ethics complaints.
‘It could get expensive’ Smith recommends a spending cap
Smith suggested that the ordinance should include a spending cap limiting the amount of funding that could be reimbursed to a city employee. Allen echoed this sentiment.
“You did say, Mr. Solomon, that it was expensive and it could get expensive. I think we need to put a cap on how much we can reimburse,” said Smith.
Norris answered by saying that the Council is not required to reimburse funds, and may decide on a case-by-case basis.
Councilman Jeff Burkhart defended the City Council’s ability to fairly arbitrate such matters without the constraint of a spending cap.
“I think that is what this council does on a monthly basis is make decisions, financial decisions,” said Burkhart. “Hopefully, the people are sitting up here are not that crooked that they would think we are going to see how much money we can get on our lawyer’s bill. … I think whoever is sitting in these seats will know what is reasonable and what is not.”
Smith attempted to put forth an amendment as well, though Burkhart called to end discussion on the ordinance, which passed 9-4, seemingly stopping her from doing so.