South Arkansas Mayor Under Ethics Investigation
By: Brea Douglas, KTVE
Updated: September 27, 2012
A South Arkansas mayor is the focus of an investigation by the Arkansas Ethics Commission (AEC).
Tony Cole is the mayor in Huttig (Union County).
A Huttig citizen has complained about city workers using city equipment and time to clean up the mayor's private property.
The owners of the Knight's Convenience store in Huttig have also filed a complaint about the mayor with the AEC.
According to the commission, no public servant shall use or attempt to use his position to secure special privileges or exemptions for himself, something that Cole disputes he was doing.
"They're trying to make it seem like it's illegal activity that's going on when all of it was done on personal time, never done on city time," he says.
Cole says that the city council has agreed that it's okay for city equipment to be used as long as it benefits the community.
"The employees that are employed by the city have always used the equipment as long as they were doing something to help the community and not making a financial gain off of it," says Cole.
While the owners of the Knight's Convenience Store didn't want to be interviewed on camera, they argue that tax dollars shouldn't be used on the mayor's private property.
Meanwhile the mayor plans on taking legal action against the Knight's for what he calls false allegations.
"I will be pressing charges because of the slander and the misconduct that these people are trying to do to me," Cole says.
The Arkansas Ethics Commission has up to six months to conduct its investigation into the complaints against Cole. If he's found guilty, he could face a fine of up to $2,000.
Meanwhile, another investigation is underway into the cause of the June fire that destroyed Cole's home while he was out of town for a mayor's conference.
Tony Cole is the mayor in Huttig (Union County).
A Huttig citizen has complained about city workers using city equipment and time to clean up the mayor's private property.
The owners of the Knight's Convenience store in Huttig have also filed a complaint about the mayor with the AEC.
According to the commission, no public servant shall use or attempt to use his position to secure special privileges or exemptions for himself, something that Cole disputes he was doing.
"They're trying to make it seem like it's illegal activity that's going on when all of it was done on personal time, never done on city time," he says.
Cole says that the city council has agreed that it's okay for city equipment to be used as long as it benefits the community.
"The employees that are employed by the city have always used the equipment as long as they were doing something to help the community and not making a financial gain off of it," says Cole.
While the owners of the Knight's Convenience Store didn't want to be interviewed on camera, they argue that tax dollars shouldn't be used on the mayor's private property.
Meanwhile the mayor plans on taking legal action against the Knight's for what he calls false allegations.
"I will be pressing charges because of the slander and the misconduct that these people are trying to do to me," Cole says.
The Arkansas Ethics Commission has up to six months to conduct its investigation into the complaints against Cole. If he's found guilty, he could face a fine of up to $2,000.
Meanwhile, another investigation is underway into the cause of the June fire that destroyed Cole's home while he was out of town for a mayor's conference.
