BENTON – The Benton City Council recently denied Mayor Lee Messersmith’s request to remove a section of the recently passed Conflict of Interest ordinance dealing with Professional Exclusions.
This deals with real estate agents or brokers, title insurance company owners and/or issuers of title insurance serving on all advisory boards and elected positions in the city of Benton.
The vote was 3-2 with Commissioners Coy Cockrum, Don Storey and Christopher Kays voting no and Commissioner Cathy Garavalia and Mayor Messersmith voting yes.
The council voted unanimously for the ordinance, which became effective May 1, during its meeting on April 28. Messersmith was not at that meeting due to his EDGE program’s event night. Messersmith told the council last Monday night that he would have voted no for the ordinance when it was passed.
Messersmith thanked Commissioner Kays for his work on the ordinance and agreed it needed to be done, but said he could not wrap his head around this part of the ordinance he wanted removed.
Some who work in the fields mentioned in this part of the ordinance approached the council at their May 12 meeting asking them to reconsider and change the ordinance.
