Smith Twp. supervisor hit with ethics complaint
Smith Township Supervisor Tim Green is expected to pay back nearly $13,000 in labor costs after an anonymous complainant filed a report with the state that he was signing checks and voting to pay bills for vehicle repairs done by Green Towing, a family business.
The state Ethics Commission cannot confirm or deny reception or status of complaints, but township solicitor Gary Sweat said he was aware the complaint was filed and said the matter is a misunderstanding involving Green’s responsibilities and duties as a supervisor.
Green should have abstained from any vote involving the family business, Sweat said. “Tim immediately called me and asked, ‘What did I do? How can I make this right?'”
When asked why he as solicitor didn’t advise the board of the apparent conflict of interest, Sweat said did not receive the lists of bills involved.
“These are bill lists, they’re not contracts or bids, so I’m not seeing what’s before the board when they make a motion to approve a list of bills that’s prepared by the township secretary,” Sweat said, “and nothing was over $10,000, so it wouldn’t have come to mine or other supervisors’ attention because it wasn’t a separate vote. The bills were part of a routine monthly rundown by the township office personnel.”
Green said he was unaware of the ethical responsibilities of the elected position, which he holds through 2019.
“I didn’t know I couldn’t sign a check to the business even though there were three signatures going on it,” Green said. “But I’m glad the Ethics Commission came in to correct me. I don’t want to do anything wrong, and I don’t like favoritism either. I made a mistake and I’m paying back the labor.”
Sweat said parts that Green bought to fix township vehicles could be reimbursed in future board action.
“We were way out ahead of this,” Sweat said, “it’s unfortunate that Tim was unaware about aspects of Sunshine Law, but he did nothing illegal, per se. He’s doing everything right.”
A spokesperson with the state Ethics Commission said the average investigation and ruling takes approximately six months. The complaint was reportedly filed in June. The board of supervisors held a special meeting on the matter July 1. Minutes from that meeting and the regular July voting meeting were not available and were not yet approved by supervisors.