City councilwoman escapes consequences of wasteful spending spree
[Editor's note: This story originally was published by Real Clear Wire.]
By Adam Andrzejewski
Real Clear Wire
Topline: The City of Denver is considering revising its ethics code after a councilwoman’s spending spree of over $15,000 was ruled “reckless” but not a “technical violation” of the law, according to Denverite.
Key facts: City Councilwoman Flor Alvidrez was under investigation by the Denver Board of Ethics for a complaint filed in December.
The complaint, which Alvidrez did not dispute, said that she paid her ex-husband $4,234 from her office budget to build a float for a Halloween parade despite already paying $10,000 to buy a float from a Denver nonprofit.
Alvidrez also spent $300 on flight upgrades during a trip to Chile, which the complaint argued was illegal.
The news outlet Denverite found a receipt for sangria from the councilwoman’s office, but she said she was unaware of it. City charge cards cannot be used to purchase alcohol.
Staff members also claimed that Alvidrez yelled at them when they tried to avoid using her office budget on the questionable items.
The ethics board ruled the Halloween floats were not a conflict of interest and did not punish Alvidrez for any of the charges because she reimbursed the city controller for all her odd purchases.
Board members also called for “potential updates” to the ethics code, though specifics have not been released.
Supporting quote: In her written response to the complaint, Alvidrez argued that she was not aware of Denver’s spending protocols.
“I wanted to begin by sharing I recently completed the [Ethics] and Public Accountability course,” she wrote. “I was never made aware there was such a training and found it very valuable.”
She also insinuated that her staff members reported her spending because she refused to give them bonuses or extra time off during Christmas.
Critical quote: Ethics board member Ray Gradale said, “The Board of Ethics has limited scope and is an advisory body without authority to impose penalty, but the City Council member’s actions here in this case do appear to raise legitimate questions and concerns related to a pattern of apparent reckless use of taxpayer funds.”
Background: Alvidrez first took office last July. All four of her aides quit in January after filing human resources complaints over Alvidrez’s alleged “bullying,” though it wasn’t serious enough to be investigated, Denverite reported.
Alvidrez earned $51,000 for six months of work last year, according to records at OpenTheBooks.com. Other council members earned just over $100,000 for the full year.
That’s perhaps not an excessive burden on taxpayers given that other Denver employees are making up to $382,000.
Summary: The lesson here: Ignorance of the law is no excuse, unless you are a lawmaker.
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