The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners beat a quick retreat this week from its proposal to amend the county’s ethics ordinance with provisions to not accept complaints against county candidates during an election and to prosecute those who file “frivolous” complaints with up to criminal perjury charges.
The commission’s move follows a public hearing where seven people rose to protest the amendments and no one stood up in support. It was the loudest outpouring of public outrage the commission has witnessed in a meeting this year.
Hugh Shashy, a self-described “original Tea Party patriot,” told the commissioners the amendments were “unconstitutional.” Former commissioner and firebrand David Richard asked, “Who wrote this? Richard Nixon?” Forsyth activist and blogger David Milum denounced the existing ethics ordinance and said any attempt to amend it was a waste of time.
“This ethics ordinance was born a three-legged dog,” said Milum. “Now it’s got mange and rabies. It scares people.”
County attorney Ken Jarrard said after the hearing that the decision was made to reconsider the amendments before a planned second public hearing is held.
District 4 Commissioner Patrick Bell, an outspoken critic of “frivolous” ethics complaints who has called for the assessment of costs on those who file them, took the lead in Tuesday's commission work session by suggesting the perjury penalty be removed from the amendments.
Bell said after the meeting he was not the author of the amendments or the force behind them, “although some people think that.” He said he was uncertain where the proposed amendments came from. District 5 Commissioner Jim Boff moved to remove all penalties, but the motion failed for lack of a second.
The ordinance as written still carries penalties for frivolous filings, including public reprimand and assessing the filer for costs, which Bell said could run to $10,000. Emily Crabb, who spoke against the amendments at the public hearing, said Thursday she’s still not happy.
“I don’t believe they should try, in any sort of way, to hamper our inalienable rights, to take away people’s rights to petition the government,” she said. “These commissioners are trying to do that and I’m not going to sit back and let them do it.”
The county will hold a second public hearing April 7 on the proposed changes to the revised amendments to the ethics ordinance. Crabb plans to be there.
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