Latest news with #EthicsBoard
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Appeals filed to Wichita Ethics Board over transgender proclamation
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Two formal appeals have been filed following the Wichita Ethics Board's recent ruling involving Mayor Lily Wu's handling of a proclamation for Transgender Day of Visibility. According to the ethics officer, Mayor Wu herself and one of the original 22 complainants submitted appeals ahead of the deadline, which passed yesterday. Earlier this month, the Ethics Board concluded that Mayor Wu violated the city's ethics code when she failed to read the proclamation or designate someone to read it in her place. However, the board determined there was no violation related to the absence of the mayor's signature on the document, which Wu attributed to a clerical mistake. EAB-Report-2025-13-ProclamationDownload The appeals are not made public until the board issues its final report. That report could be released as soon as July 10, when the board reconvenes to review the appeals. KSN News reached out to Mayor Wu's office for comment. A spokesperson stated that the mayor will wait for the board's response before making any further remarks. Pope Leo XIV affirms celibacy for priests, demands 'firm' action on sex abuse For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track 3 Weather app by clicking here. To watch our shows live on our website, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Wichita Ethics Board finds mayor violated city code over transgender proclamation
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – The Wichita Ethics Board met on Thursday to review its report on the 22 ethics complaints filed against Mayor Lily Wu. They found she violated one case of six alleged violations. There were two main points of alleged violation: Mayor Wu's lack of signature on the document, and her decision to not read it aloud. It was the latter that the board found to be a violation of their ethics. The complaints, submitted between March 19 and April 16, stem from controversy surrounding a city proclamation that recognized March 31 as Transgender Day of Visibility. Although the city council approved the proclamation, it lacked Wu's signature, and she did not read it out loud. City code states that the presiding officer is responsible for presenting proclamations and that the mayor shall sign all proclamations. The mayor's actions—or lack thereof—prompted reaction on social media. Twenty of the complaints focused on Wu's lack of signature on the proclamation; six also cited her for not reading it aloud. At the city council meeting on March 18, Wu 'yielded the floor' to a council member who voted in favor of the proclamation. She also noted that all proclamations are signed electronically by staff and claimed she did not request her signature to be removed. The board presented its findings during Thursday's meeting. The board said their evidence supports the mayor's original claim that her name was left off the proclamation due to a clerical error. In the report, the Ethics Board summarizes its findings, including Wu's official response to the complaints: 'The Respondent asserts that she has a right not to vote on matters before the Council, and she exercised that right by not voting for the subject Proclamation. Since she did not vote in favor of the Proclamation, she extended an offer to read it to council members who voted in its favor,' the report summarized. 'She says it is false that she refused to sign it, being as surprised as everyone else during the meeting when the document did not have her electronic signature on it.' The report lists out the six codes in which the 22 complaints state Wu violated: Section a. Be dedicated to the ideals of honor and integrity in all public and personal relationships. Section b. Conduct themselves so as to maintain public confidence in the City and its officials. Section e. Ensure that expenditures made by the City are in the interest of the City, for the betterment of the City, and only for appropriate City business, and refrain from actions unreasonably benefiting specific individuals or groups at the expense of the city as a whole. Section g. Address constituents' concerns and needs, striving to provide the highest level of service with equity, neither granting special favor nor discriminating against any citizen. Section h. Work in full cooperation with other officials and employees as they carry out the lawful discharge of their duties, unless prohibited by law or recognized confidentiality of material, to perform the operations of government, and refrain from requesting correction of any municipal code violation beyond the proper process, including but not limited to the fixing of traffic tickets. Section r. Remain impartial in the consideration of the City's business, including the approval of public policies and awarding of contracts. Do not be unduly influenced by family relationships, business interests or religious affiliation in the formulation or adoption of rules, regulations, ordinances, resolutions, or other policy matters. In the end, the board found that Wu only violated section h. 'The Ethics Board finds the evidence did not rise to the level of violating this provision, and this provision arguably does not apply to the present Complaints. No claims within the Complaints alleged influence by family, business, or religious interests,' the summarized report read. The complaint and the respondent have seven business days to request additional review and state any specific dispute of the facts or interpretation of the code of ethics. After seven business days, the findings will become final. If a request is received before then, the issues raised will return to the Ethics Board for reconsideration and a final decision. You can find the full report below: EAB-Report-2025-13-ProclamationDownload Click here to learn more about filing an ethics complaint and how the city handles the complaints. For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track 3 Weather app by clicking here. To watch our shows live on our website, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Here's what Wichita ethics board decided about Mayor Lily Wu & transgender proclamation
Mayor Lily Wu violated the city's ethics policy by not reading, and not arranging someone else to read ahead of time, the Transgender Day of Visibility proclamation at a March meeting, Wichita's Ethics Board found. The ethics board cleared Wu of other alleged violations, and didn't find sufficient evidence that she asked for her signature line to be removed from the proclamation. 'Sufficient time existed for the Mayor to fulfill her duty as the official head of the city to prepare for and preside at the council meeting. Presiding routinely includes reading proclamations approved by a majority or making preparations for and arranging in advance for someone else to read them,' the ethics board report reads. 'Voting in the minority or not voting at all, as in this case, does not change the role of a mayor to execute the will of the majority.' Council member Maggie Ballard ultimately read, and signed, the proclamation during the meeting. The board found that Wu's assistant crossed off her signature line after Wu made her own edits. Twenty-two ethics complaints were filed against the mayor after she did not read a proclamation recognizing Transgender Day of Visibility at the council's March meeting. Those complaints alleged a number of violations of the ethics code, including requiring city officials to maintain public confidence, remain impartial and address constituent's needs. She was cleared of all of those allegations. Wu will not have to pay a fine or attend ethics training as a result of her one violation. The ethics ordinance outlines those possible reprimands for ethics violations. The mayor is in Paris representing the city at the International Air Show and did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The board approved the report on a 4-1 vote, with the only no vote being the mayor's appointee to the board, Al Higdon, co-founder of the marketing agency Sullivan Higdon & Sink, now Signal Theory. After the March meeting, Wu called the proclamation a political move by former mayor Brandon Whipple's political team. She also said the proclamation 'segregated' Wichita's transgender community. The proclamation was requested by Chris Pumpelly early this year through Proud of Wichita: the LGBTQ Chamber. Pumpelly is running for District 1's open seat on the city council; he didn't announce his intent to run until earlier this month. The mayor has said she has received racist emails as backlash after she did not read the proclamation, with one email using a racial slur for Asian people.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ethics probe into Wichita mayor moves forward
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — The city's Ethics Board met Thursday to discuss ethics complaints filed against Wichita Mayor Lily Wu. No action was taken, but the investigation phase is now complete. The executive session on Thursday night lasted for 90 minutes. The city's ethics officer says the case is not cut and dry. Ambulance procession honors fallen Butler County paramedic Over the last few weeks, the board's investigator questioned witnesses, including staff members and elected officials. Last month, seven complaints were presented to the ethics board, Wichita's Ethics Officer Kathy Sexton says. More were filed since then, and now there are 22 different complainants. Sexton says it is not as simple as just telling the board an elected official did something they did not like. 'It's one thing to say that an elected official does something you don't like, but it's a whole other thing to be able to say, is there evidence of wrongdoing and intent and does it meet the letter of the law, so to speak, and that's why this board has so much work to do,' said Sexton. Sexton says there are a total of six provisions in the code of ethics that were allegedly violated. A meeting is tentatively set for Thursday, June 12, when the board is expected to make a decision. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ethics Board member resigns, accepts vacant City Council seat
London City Council appointed a new council member at a brief special-called meeting Friday morning. In light of former councilperson Holly Little's resignation earlier this month, the council selected Jim Baker to fill the vacant seat. The motion to nominate Baker came from Council Member Justin Young. "He's been a lifelong resident and currently [serves] on the Ethics Board," said Young. Council Member Anthony Ortega seconded the motion, which councilpersons Kelly Greene, Stacy Benge, and Judd Weaver also supported. Baker turned his Ethics Board resignation in to Mayor Randall Weddle following the council's unanimous vote. The resignation was effective Friday. The former Ethics Board member will be sworn in by Laurel Circuit Judge Gregory A. Lay Tuesday. Although a first reading of Ordnance 2025-08 — a budget ordinance for the upcoming fiscal year — was on the agenda, Council Member Greene made a motion to table the matter. Greene's motion was seconded by Council Member Young and received majority support. Acting City Clerk Ashley Taylor then conducted the second reading of Ordinance 2025-07. The ordinance rezones property owned by Todd and Diana Lee White from Residential R1 to Commercial C2. Weaver made a motion to approve the ordinance, seconded by Greene. The motion passed, followed by another to adjourn. London City Council will meet in special session again next week, at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, May 22, to discuss the tabled budget ordinance.
