Kira Erickson reports from the Langley City Council meeting of Mon., Dec. 16, 2024 for the South Whidbey Record.
Two former citizen-led commissions in the city of Langley are officially on their way to being disbanded.
During a meeting Dec. 16, the city council approved first readings of an ordinance amending Langley’s ethics code and another dissolving the Lodging Tax Advisory Commission.
Last month, council members decided it was in the city’s best interests to replace the Ethics Advisory Commission with administrative process to handle complaints about ethics.
They Said It
Councilmember Craig Cyr wondered if it should be made more clear that the mayor is the one driving the ethics process [under the new ordinance].
“This is a theoretical thing — an ethics violation by a staff member. There could be a performance improvement plan,” he said. “There could be any number of things that are certainly not appropriate for the city council to approve.”
Councilmember Harolynne Bobis suggested that the city attorney review the ordinance.
“Thank you for their service,” Councilmember Chris Carlson said [referring to the Lodging Tax Advisory Commission].
Mayor Kennedy Horstman said she’s committed to a very similar process [for lodging tax allocations] and that it’s important to have community engagement.
