A Lewiston resident raised a series of ethics-related allegations at the city council meeting on May 20, saying the city had failed to enforce conflict-of-interest disclosure rules, had approved a lot-line adjustment benefiting an undisclosed LLC controlled by an elected official without proper public notice, and had used personal email accounts for city business.

The council did not open an investigation. City officials explained that Utah law assigns investigatory authority to state entities and, where appropriate, law enforcement. A city staff member read a prepared statement that summarized the legal path: complaints alleging public-official ethical violations should be filed with the Utah Political Subdivisions Ethics Commission; criminal allegations should be reported to law enforcement.

What was alleged
- The speaker, Roy Hall, said he had documented instances where required conflict-of-interest disclosures were not filed, a lot-line adjustment benefiting an official's private LLC received inadequate public notice and led to later ordinance changes making the property buildable, and certain city business had been conducted via personal email accounts. He said he had submitted public-record requests to support his statements.

City response and next steps
- Council staff and the mayor said the council does not have authority to investigate criminal or ethics violations. The city attorney (Seth Tate) and County representative (David Erickson) were referenced in the staff statement about the appropriate filing path.
- City staff provided written contact information for the Utah Political Subdivisions Ethics Commission at the meeting sign-in table and urged anyone with allegations to file a complaint with that commission or with local law enforcement if a criminal violation is suspected.

Why this matters
Allegations of undisclosed financial interests, failures of public notice and the use of personal accounts for government business implicate state ethics and open-meeting statutes. The council's statement explains the procedural path for residents to secure an outside review; the city emphasized it lacks investigatory authority under state law in these cases.

Speakers and documents referenced in this report are drawn from the public comment and the city's read statement during the meeting. This article does not assert the truth of the allegations; it reports the accusation and the official guidance presented to the public.