Kelly Coyle remained in the meeting room during the 1/23/25 APC (Administrative Policy Committee) closed session discussion. The agenda included discussion of “Wage Compensation” for Kelly Coyle’s wife, Kimberly Coyle. Trustee Coyle abstained from the subsequent vote when the Committee returned to open session.
Following the meeting President Voll, who chaired the APC meeting, confirmed that Kimberly Coyle was one of the applicants for Village Clerk discussed during the closed session.
Wisconsin State Statutes Chapter 19 discusses the “Codes of ethics for local government officials, employees and candidates”
https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/19/III/59
19.59 Codes of ethics for local government officials, employees and candidates.
Quoted in Part
(a) No local public official may use his or her public position or office to obtain financial gain or anything of substantial value for the private benefit of himself or herself or his or her immediate family, or for an organization with which he or she is associated. …
c) Except as otherwise provided in par. (d), no local public official may:
2. Use his or her office or position in a way that produces or assists in the production of a substantial benefit, direct or indirect, for the official, one or more members of the official’s immediate family either separately or together, or an organization with which the official is associated.
(d) Paragraph (c) does not prohibit a local public official from taking any action concerning the lawful payment of salaries or employee benefits or reimbursement of actual and necessary expenses, or prohibit a local public official from taking official action with respect to any proposal to modify a county or municipal ordinance.
Wisconsin Ethics Commission
Any local official may request an advisory opinion regarding the propriety under the ethics laws of any matter to which the person is or may become a party.
Both Trustee Coyle and President Voll confirmed after the meeting that they had not sought an advisory opinion from the Wisconsin Ethics Commission to determine the propriety of Trustee Coyle’s attendance at the APC closed session and whether a recusal from the meeting would have been appropriate.
https://ethics.wi.gov/Pages/Resources/RequestAdvice.aspx
Video of 1/23/25 APC Meeting (Starting at Item 4F)
FULL DISCLOSURE: The author is a candidate for Kronenwetter Village President.
This post is the opinion of David Baker
Paid for by Baker for Kronenwetter President
REFERENCES:
APC Packet 012325