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Ethics complaint won�t be investigated By Dani Dodge An ethics complaint by an Ashland councilwoman against the Jackson County administrator will not be investigated by the state Government Standards and Practices Commission. City Councilwoman Cate Hartzell alleged that County Administrator Sue Slack had a conflict of interest related to the Ashland library project and her ownership of some adjoining property. Hartzell filed a complaint on Feb. 26, alleging that a letter Slack wrote on Nov. 29 restricted the city to rebuilding the Ashland library in its current location. Slack co-owns property next to the library and Hartzell alleged that by restricting the location, Slack ensured that the city would have to purchase her property. But Slack said it was never part of the Ashland library plan to buy that building. She also contends that she declared her property ownership to the former County Administrator Burke Raymond in 1998. She also said that Steven Rinkle, Jackson County�s senior assistant county counsel, drafted the letter about the intent of the bond. She signed and forwarded it to her counterpart in Ashland. In a preliminary report, the investigators said, "It appears that Ms. Slack failed to notify the Jackson County Board of Commissioners in writing of a conflict of interest before she sent the letter dated 11/29/00 to the city administrator." Investigators recommended that the commission do a full investigation of the circumstances in the case. But when the issue came to a vote Friday before the commission, only five of the seven members were present, said Pat Hearn, the executive director of the state Government Standards and Practices Commission. A motion was made to dismiss the complaint and that failed by 3-2, Hearn said. Four votes are needed to pass a motion. Then, there was a motion for full investigation. That lost 2-3. "So the 90-day timeline for completion of preliminary review will run out on May 31st," Hearn said. "Then it will just go away. "This has only happened once before." Reach reporter Dani Dodge at 776-4471, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.