Council to decide Tuesday on investigation of mayor for possible misconduct

Mayor John Royalty answers questions from members of the Louisville media following Tuesday night’s Bardstown City Council meeting. Royalty defended his actions in regard to the police department restructuring, stating that he had the administrative authority to make the changes he made.

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Tuesday, April 26, 2016, 10 p.m. (UPDATED to add video, April 27, 2016, 8 a.m.) — With the crowd of onlookers overflowing into the hallway and Louisville media in attendance, the Bardstown City Council agreed Tuesday night to meet next week to discuss hiring a special investigator to look into possible misconduct by Mayor John Royalty.

During the council’s comment period, Councilwoman Kecia Copeland said an independent investigation would give the community answers as to what happened in regard to the mayor’s restructuring of the city police department.

“We have a chance to clear the air,” she said of an independent investigation of the mayor’s actions.

Bardstown resident Louis Ballard suggested the council conduct an independent investigation of the restructuring earlier in the meeting during the citizen comment period.

Copeland’s motion to hire an investigator led to the council’s discussion of details of what the investigator would actually do, and how an investigation would be paid for.

“We can’t be afraid to the right thing,” Copeland said, arguing in favor of an investigation. “If we’ve done nothing wrong, then why not do it? We can’t get a clear-cut answer from the mayor, so why not do it?”

Copeland said the community “lost a jewel” with Chief Rick McCubbin’s decision to retire after the mayor announced the restructuring without consulting with McCubbin on the matter. If the council moves forward with the idea, an investigator will gather evidence and present his or her findings to the council. The council would then determine if any possible misconduct uncovered warranted a hearing and a council vote to remove the mayor, she said.

A vote to remove the mayor would require a unanimous vote by the council, City Attorney Tim Butler said.

Councilman Fred Hagan asked Copeland to consider delaying a vote to conduct an investigation to allow the council a chance to get more information from the mayor. Butler said the council would also need to establish the parameters of the investigation, as well as how the council will fund it.

After additional discussion, the council voted unanimously to hold a special council meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 3, following its 5 p.m. working session.

LACK OF OPENNESS CALLED “DISRESPECTFUL AND UNPROFESSIONAL.” Councilman Roland Williams took Mayor John Royalty to task for his lack of follow-through with his open-door policy.

Councilman Roland Williams scolded Mayor John Royalty for his failure to live up to his promise to keep the council better informed about major decisions at City Hall.

“I have concerns because that policy doesn’t seem to carry over to at least me,” Williams said.

Williams said he met with Royalty and specifically asked him to keep him more informed about what is going on with city business. Williams said his request was prompted by the October 2015 hearing regarding former Bardstown Police Officer Nick Houck. Williams said he knew nothing of the hearing until a Louisville TV station called to ask Williams what the hearing was about.

“At that meeting you promised me communications would get better,” he said, “but that’s not true.”

Williams named several instances where he learned of decisions from within City Hall after the fact online or from a family member, including Police Chief Rick McCubbin’s decision to retire in the wake of the mayor’s restructuring of the department.

He said he had heard rumors regarding the city pulling out of the joint city-county 911 dispatch center, but as far as he knew, the city was not negotiating with KSP in regard to dispatch services.

“I come to find out in print yesterday that we were,” he said. “Incidently, I’m very disappointed that it was implied that someone on the city council was negotiating with the Kentucky State Police.”

Councilman Bill Buckman listens as Councilwoman Kecia Copeland discusses the need for an independent investigator regarding the police restructuring.

He was critical of the mayor for not keeping the council members informed before the information is released to the public or the media.

“To not do so is disrespectful and unprofessional, to say the least” he said. “The council should not have to rely on the media and other sources to get the information that we should be getting regarding city government.

“As the city CEO, it is your responsibility to keep us informed,” he said. “I was elected to work with you, but I can’t work with you and be an effective councilman if you don’t become more forthcoming with information.”

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