Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Resident asks city to release ethics opinion after mayor voted on housing-authority property transfer
Summary
A Florence resident pressed the City Council to release the state ethics commission opinion after Mayor Barnes voted on a property conveyance to the Florence Housing Authority; the city attorney said the commission advised there was no ethics violation but described the exchange as attorney-client guidance.
Suzanne LaRochelle, a Florence resident and licensed psychotherapist, asked the City Council on a public-comment agenda item that the council release the South Carolina Ethics Commission27s written opinion after Mayor Barnes voted on an earlier transfer of city property to the Florence Housing Authority.
LaRochelle said she had expected the mayor to recuse herself from the Aug. 11 vote on Bill 2025-28, because the housing authority27s executive director is her sibling, whom LaRochelle named in public comment. She said she did not allege a legal violation but sought clarity about recusal procedures, disclosure and whether the council27s minutes reflect required filings.
LaRochelle told the council: "Citizens deserve to read the commission's words…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
