Ethics Commission dismisses complaints

Two complaints against Siloam Springs city board members Bob Coleman and Carol Smiley were dismissed by the Arkansas Ethics Commission on Friday.

Both ethics complaints were filed on Oct. 28 by

Siloam Springs resident Larry Kenemore, according to letters from the Arkansas Ethics Commission announcing the decision. After the preliminary results of the commission’s staff investigation were presented at the commission’s meeting on Nov. 20, commission members voted 5-0 to dismiss both complaints, the letters state.

“The Ethics Commission’s decision was based upon a finding that the matters alleged in the complaint, even if true, would not constitute a violation of laws under the Ethics Commission’s jurisdiction,” both letters state.

Both Coleman and Smiley deny any wrongdoing.

Coleman is a current member at large, who was defeated by David Allen in the Nov. 3 runoff election. Smiley is also a current at large member who retained her seat in the Nov. 3 runoff election.

The complaint against Coleman states that he called an “off-the-record meeting” to discuss changing the termination contract for City Administrator Phillip Patterson to give him at least one-year salary compensation should he be terminated.

The city board did enter a 20-minute executive session in July to discuss amending Patterson’s contract, after which Coleman proposed voting to approve an increase in severance pay from six months to 12 months, according to an article in the “HeraldLeader.” City board members voted unanimously in favor of the contract changes, it states.

The complaint alleges that neither Patterson nor