Wausau City Hall. MWC photo by Mike Leischner
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — Wausau’s Ethics Board will meet next Wednesday, February 19th to discuss a complaint filed against Mayor Doug Diny.
According to an agenda released on Monday, the five-member board will consider “the complaint of Jay Coldwell, Gerard C. Phelan, Kurt Hase, and Scott L. Bryan against Mayor Doug Diny to review and determine whether it alleges facts sufficient to constitute a violation of Wausau Municipal Code 2.03 Code of Ethics for Public Officials and Employees.”
The meeting is scheduled for 4:30 PM at Wausau City Hall. The board will also discuss a possible future meeting.
The complaint centers around Diny’s removal of a municipal dropbox, which was left unsecured outside city hall. The box was also locked and labeled as “Closed.”
Diny said he moved the box to his office to prevent it from being taken. The City Clerk said she would have it installed later that week and use it to collect absentee ballots ahead of the November 2024 election.
A State Supreme Court ruling issued earlier that summer gave municipal clerks the authority to implement dropboxes. Guidelines issued by the Wisconsin Elections Commission said the boxes needed to be secured and installed in well-lit areas.
Mayor Diny has retained his own legal counsel to defend himself in the matter and previously told the Council he would testify if the Board chooses to hold a hearing on the complaint. The council has enlisted an outside attorney to assist the Ethics Board if they choose to do so.
Public comment is not part of the Ethics Board agenda.
Comments