Spokane7
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October 13, 2011 in Idaho
CdA councilman: Didn’t know law
He’s the victim of a smear campaign, Edinger says of claims
Edinger
(Full-size photo)
Coeur d’Alene City Councilman Ron Edinger said Wednesday he’s the victim of a smear campaign because he believes the proposed makeover of McEuen Field should be put to a public vote.
In a statement released to the media, Edinger said he never used his position to help three of his grandsons get jobs with the city. Two of them have worked part-time for the city for years, he said; a third worked seasonally for the streets department.
“Left with no issue upon which to discredit me and a heated dissatisfaction with my position taken on McEuen, there are individuals who have chosen to go after the core of my being; my family during this campaign,” said Edinger, 75, who has served on the council for more than 40 years and is running for re-election.
Idaho law contains a section regarding “using public position for personal gain” that includes the statement: “No person related to a mayor or member of a city council … shall be appointed to any … employment or duty with the mayor’s or city council’s city when the salary, wages, pay or compensation of such appointee or employee is to be paid out of public funds.”
Edinger said neither he nor his grandsons knew about the state statute that made them ineligible for city employment. His grandsons’ employment was terminated Oct. 6, after the city was informed of the conflict.
Edinger’s daughter, Paula Austin, works in the recreation department, but was grandfathered in her position because she was hired before the state law took effect in 1990, said City Attorney Mike Gridley.
Gridley said Edinger’s opponent, Adam Graves, made inquiries about Austin’s employment. After that, Gridley investigated and discovered Edinger’s grandsons’ employment. Graves did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
“Should I have known that this statute existed? Yes,” Gridley said. But, he added, Edinger’s grandsons’ last names are Willoughby and Poole, and they were hired by “lower-level” supervisors. “They were kids with different last names hired by people who didn’t know the law. We should not have hired these kids, end of story.”
Mayor Sandi Bloem said city officials were not aware that hiring guidelines were not compliant with state law. She said applications for employment do include a question about whether applicants are related to City Council members or the mayor. But that’s to avoid issues such as family members supervising each other. Bloem said now that the city is aware of the state law, personnel rules will be changed.
“We were not aware of the state statute or they would never have been hired in the first place,” Bloem said. “There was no intent to do wrong. That was not against any personnel rules we had at the time.”
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oneanddone on October 13 at 5:07 a.m.
“Idaho law contains a section regarding “using public position for personal gain…”
This should be on Leno it’s so funny. No one in Cda thinks for a New York minute that city council members have not, are not, and will not continue to use their position for financial gain. It’s the primary lure for people to run for public office - anywhere.
RedCedar on October 13 at 11:09 a.m.
Sadly, you’re right. The statue covers one easy way to keep people from profiting from their elected positions, but these days there are lots of more clever ways to do so, and they’re still legal.
kma on October 13 at 11:57 a.m.
Maybe we all need to ask this Adam Graves why he is in bed with the Hagadones. No wonder he wants a city council position, so he can do whatever Brad Hagadone and his Daddy, Duane asks him to do. Like get rid of 3rd St. boat ramp, baseball fields, and the list goes on just for the Hagadones and their empire.
Ron Edinger is an honest and good man and knows that McEuen should be left alone. There is NO MONEY FOR THIS BOONEDOGAL, none. Because of his feelings on McEuen he has been left out of certain meetings and information of what is going on with our City. They want him gone so they can do whatever they darn well please, without a public vote.
Like Adam Graves didn’t know what he was doing, now sell me the Brooklyn Bridge Adam. What a crock of poop!!!!
tobiasg on October 13 at 12:44 p.m.
Seems as though many elected officials in Idaho sorta ignore the law and just do whatever they want…
RedCedar on October 13 at 12:59 p.m.
Well, at least we can be glad that it’s only Idaho where they do that. Thankfully in Washington, all the elected officials follow both the spirit and the letter of the law to the last jot and tittle, and they always do what the people want regardless of how it affects them personally. What a remarkable different between two adjacent states, but of such threads the web of wonder is woven.