It seems clear that the Independent Ethics Board has no intention of removing the Ethics Officer, Julie Meadows-Keefe, before her declared resignation date of February, 2020.
Amid calls for her removal by business leaders and the Citizens for Ethics Reform, there was some thought that the Ethics Board would address the issue at their monthly meeting held at City Hall on Tuesday night.
Even Mayor John Dailey spoke on the issue earlier in the day when he told Jeff Burlew, of the Tallahassee Democrat, that “he would like to see immediate transition in who serves as ethics officer.”
However, the Ethics Board remained silent on the issue.
When approached after the meeting by Tallahassee Reports, most Ethics Board members refused to provide a comment on the issue.
However, Board member Ernest Paine told TR that the issues surrounding the Ethics Officer had been addressed with her decision to resign.
One issue that did get addressed during the meeting was the use of tax dollars to pay for Capital Tiger Bay memberships for the Ethics Officer. TR reported earlier this week that the Ethics Office paid over $1,200 in membership dues to the political club over the last several years.
The Ethics Board voted 6-0 to require Meadows-Keefe to reimburse the Board for the memberships.
City official was my ex-husband, Bert.
"Ethics Board Silent on Ethics Officer" is like saying; "Mob Silent on Fellow Mobster". Once you're a 'made man' you don't snitch on nobody since everybody's got skin in the game.
Crisis in Corrupt City of Tallahassee! No cojones to do the right thing! Wonder what she has on them or is it the City Manager calling the shots to protect his interest? Scandalous!!
Why did the mayor and the city manager look the other way and say and do nothing at a $1,200 expense to the Tiger Bay Club?
Could it be that the mayor sits on the board of the Tiger Bay Club?
Where is the ethics complaint for the mayor receiving free airtime possibly worth in the tens of thousands of dollars misusing his position as mayor? Tick tock...
The mayor and city manager do not over see the ethics expenses do they? I thought what we voted on what an ethics office independent of city oversight. Does this not all fall on the shoulders of the ethics board?
This is on the mayor's and city manager's watch. They are culpable and should bear the responsibility.
Looks like we have a spineless Ethics Board that refuses to do the right thing so how can they now be trusted to do any thing Ethical and Proper? Time to look at replacing them ALL now.
First of all everyone is already aware our timid and spineless Independent Ethics Board are volunteers and are not being paid for their service. We know this and do not need to hear the sermon again.
But what does the Boards actions of yesterday actually mean? You may be asking yourself.
Its a good thing you have Snidely to clue you in.
Here's the poop:
Meadows-Keefe has secured $1200.00 in untraceable cash from her paramour who is a highly placed upper management employee with the City of Tallahassee. He or she consulted with other corrupt high level City employees and they colluded together [in violation of The Sunshine Laws of course] to follow the great success former Mayor Gillum had with paying back that $5000.00 for his personal campaign software. Hey it worked for Gillum!
Next Meadows-Keefe quietly got word to the non-paid volunteer sympathisers on the Ethics Board that it was OK to address her $1200.00 theft at yesterday's meeting but NOT her removal from the position of Ethics Officer.
Soon we should expect Meadows-Keefe to refund the City for that controversial Tiger Bay membership. That is expected to be quite enough to satisfy Dr. J along with anyone else who was concerned. Hey it worked for Gillum!
So in closing after Meadows-Keefe pays back that $1200.00 her City boyfriend/girlfriend gave her - us concerned citizens will be expected to be satisfied and shuffle along...nothing more to see here.
Well thats quite likely closer to the truth then anything else we know at this time.
No I have no proof of the above but based on what we all know about our corrupt leadership it seems to be the most likely scenario to explain the nonsensical action and inaction of our non-paid volunteer Independent Ethics Board.
You have no proof and type a bunch of crap. Yep. Trumper for sho'
Ok, fire this board and get one that will stand up to OKeefe and send her packing. Enough already. What action could the Commission take, presumably led by the mayor?
To sum up:
The Ethics Board is telling us it's OK to screw a subordinate, but not OK to screw the taxpayers.
*Until Feb. 2020, that is.
You are disgusting Ms. Maven.