- Mt. Juliet brings back three ethics complaints once dismissed over concerns state law was not followed.
- Complaints were initially heard in an executive session without notice.
Three ethics complaints involving three Mt. Juliet elected officials that were dismissed late last year will be reviewed again, with concern that state law was violated and division among officials.
Mt. Juliet’s Ethics Commission dismissed the complaints at a meeting that City Manager Kenny Martin stated in a notice posted on the city’s website was held without proper public notice.
The notice references Tennessee Code Annotated 8-44-101, which says that “public policy and decisions is public business and shall not be conducted in secret.”
“Regrettably, we must acknowledge that the meeting in question occurred without proper public notice as outlined in the guidelines established by the Tennessee Code for open meetings,” Martin’s statement said.
One of the ethics complaints was filed against District 3 Commissioner Scott Hefner by Mayor James Maness and District 4 Commissioner Jennifer Milele. The complaints focused on property Hefner owns becoming part of a site plan named Downtown Mt. Juliet City Block being proposed in the city.