Soap Lake council unanimously votes no-confidence in Mayor Sharp
NANCE BESTON | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 weeks, 2 days AGO
At the March 18 Soap Lake City Council meeting, a vote of no-confidence was passed unanimously by council in regard to Mayor Peter Sharp. Allegations include secretly recording city employees, gifting of public funds and/or unauthorized expenditure of city funds and exceeding his authority.
FILE PHOTO
SOAP LAKE – The Soap Lake City Council unanimously passed a vote of no-confidence against Mayor Peter Sharp Wednesday evening, indicating that various of his actions caused concerns. Councilmember Kayleen Bryson read the resolution as the only comment on the matter. Sharp did not comment during the meeting.
“No comment,” Sharp said to the Columbia Basin Herald after the meeting. “I have played that game, and I am not playing it anymore.”
Within the resolution, it states that Sharp has “engaged in a pattern of conduct involving secretly recording city employees, gifting of public funds and/or unauthorized expenditure of city funds, exceeding the authority granted to the office of the mayor under applicable law and city policy.”
City Attorney Julie Norton also provided no comment, stating she couldn’t comment on personnel matters.
According to previous reporting by the Columbia Basin Herald, Sharp installed Ring Doorbell devices and allegedly used them to record staff without their permission or knowledge.
Alongside this, there are allegations of the current Smokiam Campground manager being “gifted” a spot at the campground, prior to her taking on the role. According to Soap Lake Police Department’s Administrative Assistant, Jody Siebert, who takes council minutes, the contract was never brought to council for approval.
The Grant County Sheriff’s Office is gathering information for the Grant County Prosecuting Office, according to GCSO Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman.
According to the resolution, both the Grant County Sheriff’s Office and the Washington State Auditor are conducting formal investigations into Sharp’s conduct, city expenditures and financial matters. Because of ongoing investigations, the resolution states there are “serious concerns about the mayor’s fitness to continue serving in the capacity of the Mayor of the City of Soap Lake.”
Further, the resolution states Sharp’s conduct has undermined public trust and damaged the reputation and credibility of the city.
“A vote of no confidence, while advisory in nature, serves as a formal and public expression of the City Council’s loss of trust and confidence in the Mayor’s ability to lawfully, ethically, and effectively carry out the duties of the office of the Mayor,” reads the resolution.
Additionally, prior reporting by the Columbia Basin Herald found that Sharp owed the city almost $3,600 for water and trash. Sharp had initially indicated that he had a payment arrangement with the city; however, city documents showed he did not have an arrangement. That debt has since been paid according to Sharp and city records.
The resolution asks Sharp to comply with all ongoing investigations. It states the city clerk is to keep all documents, records, financial statements and communications relevant to the resolution.
It also says the city council is committed to transparent, accountable and lawful governance on behalf of Soap Lake residents and taxpayers, pledging to take all lawful measures available to protect the public interest and integrity of the city.
A copy of the resolution will be sent to GCSO, WSAO and the Washington State Attorney General’s Office.
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