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Public speaker accuses council member of improper contract award; mayor says investigative committee will be appointed
Summary
During public comments a resident alleged Councilwoman Paulette Chavers voted improperly on a contract benefiting a relative; the mayor and city attorney said the council will appoint a three‑member investigative committee and follow the city code process.
Marshall Webster used the public‑comment period to allege that Councilwoman Paulette Chavers knowingly voted to award a city contract to a firm led by her brother, Donald Chavers, and to accuse the mayor of refusing to pursue an ethics complaint.
"At the city council meeting last week, Councilwoman Paulette Chavers knowingly, willfully, and illegally voted to award a city contract to a firm of which her brother Donald Chavers is CEO," Marshall Webster said. He said he filed an ethics complaint and later amended it to include the mayor.
The mayor and the city attorney told the council the complaint had been received and that the process called for appointing a three‑member council investigative committee. The city attorney said the code requires action within a specified period after a verified complaint; the mayor said staff and legal counsel were "working on it" and that the council would appoint the committee.
Mayor Jonathan McCollum rejected the speaker’s claim that he dismissed the complaint and said the city would follow its legal process. The mayor and other council members also responded sharply to the speaker’s remarks during the meeting; the mayor characterized the speaker’s public statements on social media as inaccurate and said the city would proceed with a formal investigation by committee.
No formal ethics findings or sanctions were announced at the meeting. The council indicated it will proceed with the investigative step specified in the city code and that the next procedural action will be taken by the mayor and the city attorney to form the review committee.
