RESPONSES  TO NEWSPAPER ACCUSATIONS

Ever since the Mark Fenn conflict of interest matter first came up, Benson’s newspaper has been on a crusade to discredit Fenn’s accusers.

In its April 23 issue, the paper published a front page story claiming that four members of the Benson City Council have conflicts of interest of their own.   In particular, the paper claimed that Dianne Tipton had arranged to have the city place street signs on property that she manages.

Tipton says that the signs were placed on public property and they were placed there long before she became a member of the city council.   Still, the newspaper insists they are right and they decline to retract their accusation.  

Below you see a memorandum from Benson Public Works Director Brad Hamilton.  Hamilton acknowledges that the signs were ordered by former City Manager Boyd Kraemer  a couple years ago.    

Thus, all the city employees did recently was to correct some mistakes that had been made.    

Another factor is that before there can be a conflict of interest, there must be a showing that the council member personally benefited.    Dianne Tipton didn’t make a penny by having the signs corrected.

The same article on April 23 tries to make a case that Councilwoman Kathy Suagee has a conflict of interest because her husband works as a public defender for the county.    But the paper fails to show how Kathy’s position on the council might cause her husband, Mark, to make an extra cent.

More recently, on May 21 the paper printed a letter to the editor which suggests that Fenn does indeed have a conflict. The letter also claims that the city staff isn’t doing its job because of its preoccupation with the Fenn matter.   Councilwoman Suagee has asked us to publish her response:

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OPINION PIECE                                                                     Kathy Suagee May 21, 2008                                                                          586-9153       Recently a note-worthy letter appeared in the newspaper from part-time resident Howard Harvey, Jr., who raises a pertinent question:  Is City business being accomplished despite a lack of consensus among City Council members?   I want to allay the fears of Mr. Harvey and all city residents.  Please be assured we are still taking care of business at City Hall.  Currently we are getting a new budget ready for the coming year, and we are meeting at additional times for budget work sessions.  Check the board at City Hall, the Post Office or the Library for meeting dates and times.   Before July 4 we will see new paved streets at Lion’s Park and repairs started on Ocotillo Road.  Plans for other park improvements continue, the swimming pool opens next week, and city services just keep getting more efficient and more fair for all citizens.   The City Council is able to continue taking care of business because we have an excellent City staff.  These hard-working employees do not sit around gossiping about the latest half-truths published in the local paper.  They work!  And one reason they all work hard, and also the reason why they still have high morale, is because of our city manager, Martin Roush.  The more Mr. Roush is attacked by some members of the Council and good old boys in the community, the harder he works.  Other City workers see this, and they response in kind.   People running for office always promise change.  Well, change sometimes isn’t easy.  Some people don’t like it, and it can dredge up facts most of us would rather not know about, but without getting everything out in the open, change cannot happen.  Bear with us.  Benson will change, and it will be a better place in the end.  Meanwhile, a few of us on the Council will strive for transparency and honesty as we take care of business.

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One final comment about the newspaper’s coverage.  In nearly every article about the Fenn matter, the paper claims that the city council voted to spend up to $25,000 for the investigation.   This claim is absolutely false.   What actually happened is that a couple months ago, a member of the council asked City Attorney Tom Benavidez for his best estimate of what an investigation might cost.   Off the top of his head, Benavidez came up with the $25,000 figure.   Nobody asked him to elaborate so he didn’t.    More recently, City Manager Roush has hired Mary Ryan to conduct the investigation at an hourly rate of $175.   Simple arithmetic reveals that she would have to work 142 hours before running up a $25,000 bill.   At no time has the council ever authorized the expenditure of any specific dollar figure for the investigation.     Another example of poor and biased reporting by the newspaper.

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