Should Spouses be Appointed to City Commissions?

The issue surfaced at the December Town and Country Board of Aldermen meeting with the scheduled re-appointment of members to the city's Conservation Commission. It's an issue other aldermen thought was significant enough to table and revisit later. Monday night, the issue was discussed again.

Alderman Al Gerber's wife Hera Gerber, who currently serves on the city's Conservation Commission, applied for reappointment.

"She was on there for a long time and when I became an aldermen, the mayor appointed me to head the commission," Gerber tells Patch. "I think that she's done a fine job and as long as there are no funds involved, there is no conflict of interest."

Mayor Jon Dalton makes the appointments for the two-year terms and put her request before the board of aldermen for support.

"I am not blocking her application for reappointment," Dalton tells Patch.

Board members are divided on the issue of spouses serving on commissions and it sparked a heated discussion between aldermen in the work session prior to the board of aldermen meeting.

"I still say it is inappropriate for an elected official's spouse to be appointed to a commission," Alderman Jon Benigas said. "I think it creates unnecessary issues."

"We have 16 other municaplites that don't have an issue.  I think you are thinking smally and acting smally and I think it's political," Fons responded to Benigas.

Benigas told Fons "you can demean me however you like," but said he is sticking by his stance that spouses should not be appointed to city commissions.

Alderman Steve Fons asked Benigas for examples of the "issues" such appoinments could create.

"I'm saying there is a whole bunch of issues that come up that cannot be predicted in advance. There is a reason the mayor was taken to task for that previous appointment of his wife," Benigas said. "I don't think we are hurting anyone or taking away rights to make the political workings and functions of relationships on the board safer."

Mayor Dalton interupted the heated discussion saying, "The fact the other municipalities do or do not have a policy or the matter does not mean they have not considered it."

Dalton used his previous experience with a similar matter as an example for aldermen to consider when deciding whether they felt spousal appointments were appropriate.

"My wife received criticism from people in this community for serving on a volunteer task force. I believe we opened ourselves up to these activities. I didn't like it when it happened to me and I don't want to see it happen to other aldermen," Dalton said.

A number of residents spoke out in favor of spouses be allowed to serve on city commissions.

"It has not been an issue in the past when others have served and I do not understand why it would be an issue now," said Town and Country resident Barbara Hughes.

Aldermen Tim Welby and Lynn Wright were absent from Monday night's meeting so Benigas suggested tabling the board's vote until the full board was present.

"I prefer that all of these appointments be made under full board vote," Jon Benigas said.

The vote to table was a tie among aldermen and Dalton broke the tie by voting to move forward with the re-appointments.

"If we are not prepared to adopt a policy on it then I am prepared to continue my appointments," Dalton said.

Mayor Dalton put the following re-appointments before the aldermen Monday night:

• Sandra Murdock - Conservation Commission 
• Hera Gerber - Conservation Commision 
• Veronique Vitt - Public Art Commission

Mayor Dalton also appointed Jeffrey Klieve to the city's Police Commission. 

All were passed by he aldermen.