Why it matters that Gilbert's town council can't seem to get along
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Illustration: Lazaro Gamio/Axios
The Gilbert Town Council is "fractured," nearly every council member agreed in a meeting last month — one of the few times the body has come to consensus on anything in the past year.
What's happening: This summer, six ethics complaints were filed against members of the council, two of which were hurled by one member against another.
- Three council members unsuccessfully levied a vote of "no confidence" against Mayor Brigette Peterson.
- And the council ultimately decided to bring in an outside mediator to work through their differences.
Why it matters: "When city officials seem to be wielding the [ethics] code for political gain ... the public rightfully can question whether they're looking out for public interest or engaging in private disputes," senior scholar in government ethics for Santa Clara University's Markkula Center for Applied Ethics John Pelissero tells Axios Phoenix.
The big picture: Three council members elected last year — Jim Torgeson, Bobbi Buchli and Chuck Bongiovanni — promised more transparency and trust on the council. Torgeson had been publicly critical of the mayor for years prior to running for office.
- The tension between the new members and the mayor appears to have tipped from policy differences to personal attacks.
Zoom in: Peterson filed an ethics complaint against Torgeson after a resident made public a voicemail in which Torgeson refers to Petersen by an offensive term.
- Bongiovanni then filed a complaint against Peterson after he learned she shared her complaint against Torgeson with the media.
The latest: Last month, outside investigators said there were no ethics code violations found in these two complaints and two others filed by town residents.
- Another two complaints are still open, according to the town.
Flashback: Torgeson, Buchli and Bongiovanni called for a vote of "no confidence" against Peterson in August after she filed the complaint against Torgeson.
- The council instead voted to hire a mediator to help them work through internal disagreements. Mediation is ongoing.
Between the lines: "We are hurting our community terribly. We've got to get through this," council member Scott Anderson told his colleagues at a meeting last month.
- Gilbert is a town of 270,000 people and has a $2 billion budget. The council infighting has created a distraction from the serious issues impacting the town, and the publicity has led to community skepticism about the body's ability to address them.
What's next: The council adopted a new ethics policy and process over the summer that aims to create better outcomes for future complaints. All complaints filed this summer followed the old process.
- The new process will start with an independent mediation between the complainant, public official and town attorney. Complainants can request a full investigation if they're unhappy with the results of the mediation, the Arizona Republic reported.
Between the lines: Pelissero said adding a mediation component is a good call and will hopefully resolve issues without being litigious.
The intrigue: The old process, which often requires an outside attorney investigation to ensure no bias, cost the city thousands of dollars this summer.
- Gilbert spokesperson Jennifer Harrison tells Axios Phoenix the town has been billed for $7,650 so far, but she notes it has not yet received all invoices.
- At the meeting, Torgeson said the total will likely be close to $100,000 by the time all is said and done.