A majority of the City Council on Tuesday night expressed confidence in Councilman Chris Anderson and discounted an ethics complaint filed against him by citizen activist Helen Burns Sharp.
Only Councilman Larry Grohn had a different view, saying there was at least the appearance of a conflict of interest in the fact that Mike Price, spokesperson for a controversial apartment project, was on the host committee for an Anderson re-election fundraiser on Sunday. He said Councilman Anderson should have made that fact known prior to the vote on the apartment project. He said he believed the complaint "has validity."
The council, at the request of Councilman Anderson, asked for an outside attorney to give a separate legal opinion on the issue.
City Attorney Wade Hinton had found that Councilman Anderson had not violated the city's ethics policy. He said it requires council members to disclose any "personal interest" they have in a matter before the council. He said Councilman Anderson does not have a personal interest in the apartment complex on Cowart Street.
Councilman Anderson said, "I am gratified by the finding that I've done nothing wrong." He said many citizens had campaigned for him and given him donations. He said his past contributors had included Ms. Sharp.
Councilman Freeman said he was voting for the outside counsel due to Councilman Anderson requesting it, but he said it was "one of the most asinine situations I have ever found myself in - on so many different levels."
He said in doing so the council was questioning not only Councilman Anderson's actions, but the ruling of the city attorney in his favor.
Other council members said the outside review was necessary "to remove any cloud" from Councilman Anderson.
Councilman Freeman said Councilman Anderson had "put on Facebook every name and every dollar amount" related to the fundraiser. He said the outside opinion was "a waste of the taxpayers' money. What can they say that our attorney has not already said?"
He said of Councilman Anderson, "This is a good man. He means well."
Councilman Russell Gilbert said Councilman Anderson's focus had been for the betterment of his district.