SALYERSVILLE – With photos circulating social media of reportedly city equipment being used on the mayor’s personal property, the Salyersville Independent reached out for clarification, though some things are still hazy.
Last week, photos of city equipment that appeared to be moving some dirt and rock around, as well as a Rumpke container, all located at a property owned by Salyersville Mayor Stanley Howard, were being widespread shared on Facebook.
The SI reached out to Mayor Howard, who replied the equipment and Rumpke container was all on his property at the lower end of town because the city didn’t have anywhere else to store the items. He also stated that the photos were taken when they were about to load the equipment and that was why the excavator was moving dirt.
When asked for further clarification about the actual moving of dirt, the phone call was cut off and a return call was not returned.
So, whether the dirt being moved was solely for “help loading” the excavator or for personal filling in of the property, the SI cannot confirm either way.
Important to note, this was not the only time the SI has received photos of city equipment working on this particular piece of property, though, once again, the motives of each action are unconfirmed.
Section 8 of the City of Salyersville’s Code of Ethics Ordinance, passed in December 1994, states: “No officer or employee of the city shall use or permit the use of any city time, funds, personnel, equipment, or other personal or real property for the private use of any person, unless: (1) The use is specifically authorized by a stated city policy now in effect or hereinafter enacted.”
The SI does not know of or found evidence of any such policy allowing for storage and use of city equipment on the mayor’s private property.
