Troy Mayor's Bio Request Raises Ethical, Legal Concerns at Council Meeting

Troy City Council members expressed concern over Troy Mayor Janice Daniels' request to add a biography containing her goals and personal philosophies to the city's website during a discussion on the topic at .

In a letter to Troy City Manager Michael Culpepper, Daniels wrote:

"I know it is customary to publish a standard resume and so I would like to have my attached resume reviewed by the Council but at the same time it is my preference that my original biography emailed to you previously be the document published to the City website. The reason that I believe that citizens should know their elected officials philosophy rather than job history because it is our philosophy that informs us and directs our actions rather than the specific tasks that we have accomplished on a work a day basis."

However, several council members expressed concern over the materials Daniels wished to add to the city's website.

“You have the ability to use your own website," Mayor Pro Tem Maureen McGinnis said, "But I think that there may be some concern about utilizing the city’s website to handcraft a way that you’d want to be portrayed to the citizens."

City Attorney Lori Grigg Bluhm also expressed concern over the legality of adding the elements requested by Daniels to the city-run website.

“The timing of it is a concern for me," Bluhm said. "Again, I haven’t done a detailed analysis. I will just tell you that I have a lot of concerns about the potential of a campaign finance act violation, or at a minimum, an allegation that that is what has occurred, that the city’s resources ... are being used in support of or in opposition of a campaign, which is the recall campaign.”

"I would be hard pressed to see how this is different than any other elected official’s biography that you’d find online anywhere," said Councilman Doug Tietz, who spoke in support of the mayor. "I don’t see a problem with it.”

Councilman Dane Slater spoke out against the mayor's request, saying, “Every council meeting, we’re dealing with the mayor trying to present herself to the public, and I think we need to stay neutral with this."

“I think that there is some exposure for the city," Bluhm agreed.

To read council members' biographies, visit the City of Troy website. To view Daniels' letter and biography, please see the attached file.