By Debby Woodin
dwoodin@joplinglobe.com
One candidate for Joplin City Council is a close friend of two sitting council members, and they helped him circulate his nominating petitions to place his name on the April election ballot.
A sitting council member also assisted four other candidates in circulating nominating petitions for the April 6 election, but two of the candidates did not disclose that on questionnaires the Globe sent out seeking information about the candidates.
City Attorney Brian Head on Friday said he was not aware of the issue having come up before, but that he would have difficulty concluding that the circulation of nominating petitions would constitute a violation of city ethics policy. But then Head also said that he does advise council members not to put campaign signs of other council candidates in their yards because that would violate the rule against endorsements.
‘Completely independent’
Candidate Jack Golden, a retired Community Development director for the city of Joplin, was assisted in gathering signatures for his nominating petitions by council members Bill Scearce, also a former city employee, and Benjamin Rosenberg.
Golden said Friday that he has been a close friend of both Rosenberg and Scearce for years, but said that would not influence his votes if he is elected to the council on April 6.
“I’m completely an independent person,” Golden said Friday when asked if the relationships would influence council business.
Asked whether three friends on the nine-member panel could create a voting bloc, Golden said, “No issue would be a bloc between myself and anybody else. Period.”
Rosenberg said he and Golden have been friends more than 50 years, since high school, “and notwithstanding that, he will make a fine councilman. I think all of the candidates will make a fine councilman.”
He said that he and Scearce do not always vote the same despite their friendship.
“I’m sure Jack will vote his mind, and I will vote mine and Scearce will vote his.”
Scearce said that “a nominating petition is simply a process by which someone gets their name on the ballot. And that’s all it is. It’s to put someone’s name on the ballot.”
Scearce said he and Golden have been friends for 42 years, and that Golden was the best man at his wedding. “If I didn’t do this for Jack, I wouldn’t be a very good friend, would I?”
Insulted
He said he was insulted at being asked if serving together on the council could result in a voting bloc by the three.
“My position as an elected official is that I do what I think best for the city of Joplin,” he said. “It has nothing to do with following someone else. My answer to you is categorically ‘no.’
“I categorically vote for the citizens of this community.
“I always vote my convictions, even if the vote is 8-1. I always speak up for what is right, and I think the people of this community know that.”
Scearce always votes against holding closed meetings, which results in a vote of 8-1.
He said he believed voters are aware of the close relationship between he, Rosenberg and Golden.
According to records of the city clerk, sitting council member Morris Glaze circulated petitions for candidates Gary Shaw, Michael Seibert, Mike Woolston and Kevin York. Shaw and Seibert are unopposed for their zone seats.
Five-way race
Woolston, York and Golden are involved in a five-way race for three general seats. Woolston is an incumbent. The other two candidates are Trisha Raney and Kelly Maddy.
Unlike Golden’s disclosure on a Globe questionnaire sent to the candidates, neither Woolston nor York disclosed that Glaze helped them gather signatures.
Woolston said it was an oversight. He said he didn’t keep copies of the petitions, so when he filled out the Globe questionnaire and was asked to list those who helped him get signatures, he asked the clerk for a list of those who circulated his petitions. “And when they sent them back, they omitted Morris,” he said.
City Clerk Barbara Hogelin said Woolston had already submitted enough signatures to be certified as a candidate before Glaze submitted any on his behalf. Because she did not use the ones collected by Glaze to certify Woolston’s candidacy, she did not include them in the list of those who submitted signatures for him.
York said he was out of town when the petitions were circulated late last year by his wife, Amy York, and businessman Ryan Jackson. He said he didn’t know who else they asked to solicit signatures for him, and that’s why he did not disclose Glaze on his questionnaire.
Glaze could not be reached for comment.
Attorney’s take
City Attorney Brian Head said he did not know how long it has been a practice for sitting council members to help collect signatures for candidates. He said he was not aware of the question being raised publicly before.
“The prohibition in the city charter and the city code is that you cannot use your official title in endorsing a candidate, and I would have a hard time coming to the conclusion that circulating the petition is an endorsement,” Head said.
He said the charter does forbid a councilman from using the prestige of office to support a candidate. There is a fine line between the ethics rule and a council person’s right to free speech, Head said.
He said he believes the test on whether a council member engaged in an endorsement is “are you being asked because you’re a council member or is it something you would do for anyone?”
Endorsements
City Attorney Brian Head said he advises council members not to post campaign signs in their yards because of a city prohibition of candidate endorsement.
