WATERTOWN — The City Council should have some answers tonight on how to handle — if anything should be done — with the ethics complaint against Councilman Cliff Olney.
At tonight’s work session, City Attorney Kristen Smith, of the Syracuse law firm of Bond, Schoeneck & King, will make a presentation to council members about the process for reviewing ethics board referrals.
Two weeks ago, Mayor Jeffrey M. Smith requested that his ethics complaint against Olney be put on Monday’s agenda.
After he filed the complaint against Olney, the city’s ethics board came back in September with a recommendation that Olney should be removed from office.
City Manager Kenneth A. Mix said tonight’s discussion will be to see if the council recommends taking up the ethics board complaint.
The city attorney’s role is “to discuss what the process would be,” Mix said.
“The first point is whether council wants to get involved,” he said.
In his complaint, Smith accused Olney of breaking council rules by making executive session material public.
But Olney still has several questions about the ethics board’s recommendation, contending the board did not allow him to defend himself from the accusations.
Last week, Olney sent emails to the City Council, Mix and the city attorney saying that the city should pay for an attorney to represent him in the matter and that he wants to be informed of the legal process to remove him from office.
“I think I should have representation because it is a very complex issue and it has to be navigated carefully,” he said.
He said he had hoped to receive an answer from the city attorney before Monday night, but, as of this weekend, he hasn’t received a response.
Calling her “fair,” Olney said he believes he can trust the city attorney, whose law firm was appointed to the position in September.
But Mix said it’s not the appropriate time to decide that issue. The council would have to first decide that it wants to pursue the matter, he said.
Councilwoman Lisa A. Ruggiero thinks that the city should provide an attorney to Olney, based on the City Charter. So far, she hasn’t seen any evidence that he should be ousted — only an accusation by the mayor.
She also stressed that tonight’s discussion will not involve whether Olney should be removed from office.
Councilwoman and Mayor-elect Sarah V. Como Pierce could not be reached for comment.
Mix acknowledged that the current council could decide not to pursue the ethics complaint, but the new council could reverse that decision and want to move forward with it after two new members take office on Jan. 1.
The work session is at 7 p.m. and is open to the public.
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