Baileyton council may reimburse member for ethics fine

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July 31, 2012

Baileyton council may reimburse member for ethics fine

By Benjamin Bullard The Cullman Times The Cullman Times Tue Jul 31, 2012, 09:10 AM CDT

BAILEYTON — Baileyton officials will vote next week whether to commit town funds to reimburse a council member fined by the Alabama Ethics Commission for a minor violation involving the hiring of a relative to do municipal work.

At its July meeting, the town council approved a first reading of a resolution to have the town repay council member Roy Shedd the $1,000 he was fined — and paid to the ethics commission out of his own funds — last month.

That resolution passed by a 4-1 vote. Council member Bill McElroy, who filed the original complaint against Shedd, voted against the measure. Shedd himself attended the July meeting, but left the room while the council took up the matter.

Because the measure did not pass unanimously at the time of its introduction, it will come up for a vote again at the council’s Aug. 6 regular meeting.

The ethics commission’s finding stems from an allegation that Shedd had improperly recruited his son in-law to perform labor on a walking trail at the Baileyton Town Park. The trail improvement was part of a larger project, funded through a 50/50 matching grant from the Alabama Soil & Water Conservation Committee.

The grant funded an estimated $45,000 toward park improvements; the town supplied an additional $45,000 through in-kind work and funding. Town officials said the labor in question represented about $8,000 of the project’s total cost. The grant was reconciled more than a year ago, and the project’s design and workmanship have been well received by both residents and leaders.

State ethics officials said the violation is considered a minor offense, and doesn’t carry additional repercussions for either Shedd or the town.

“The allegation was that he had his son in-law do some work at one of the parks; to pour some concrete for a trail,” said Alabama Ethics Commission general counsel Hugh Evans Monday. “The finding only affected this particular councilman — it did not affect the council as a whole. There is no [additional] reprimand.”

Baileyton Mayor Johnny Dyar did not return a phone call Monday afternoon seeking comment on why the town is set to reimburse Shedd the cost of the fine. Dyar has publicly defended Shedd’s violation as the result of a simple oversight on the part of a conscientious public servant.

Shedd faces competition from Baileyton resident Janice Miller in his bid to retain his spot at Place 3 on the council in next month’s municipal election.

* Benjamin Bullard can be reached by e-mail at bbullard@cullmantimes.com or by telephone at 734-2131 ext. 270.

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Baileyton council may reimburse member for ethics fine

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