2 days ago
Here's what Wichita ethics board decided about Mayor Lily Wu & transgender proclamation
Mayor Lily Wu violated the city's ethics policy by not reading, and not arranging someone else to read ahead of time, the Transgender Day of Visibility proclamation at a March meeting, Wichita's Ethics Board found.
The ethics board cleared Wu of other alleged violations, and didn't find sufficient evidence that she asked for her signature line to be removed from the proclamation.
'Sufficient time existed for the Mayor to fulfill her duty as the official head of the city to prepare for and preside at the council meeting. Presiding routinely includes reading proclamations approved by a majority or making preparations for and arranging in advance for someone else to read them,' the ethics board report reads. 'Voting in the minority or not voting at all, as in this case, does not change the role of a mayor to execute the will of the majority.'
Council member Maggie Ballard ultimately read, and signed, the proclamation during the meeting.
The board found that Wu's assistant crossed off her signature line after Wu made her own edits.
Twenty-two ethics complaints were filed against the mayor after she did not read a proclamation recognizing Transgender Day of Visibility at the council's March meeting.
Those complaints alleged a number of violations of the ethics code, including requiring city officials to maintain public confidence, remain impartial and address constituent's needs. She was cleared of all of those allegations.
Wu will not have to pay a fine or attend ethics training as a result of her one violation. The ethics ordinance outlines those possible reprimands for ethics violations.
The mayor is in Paris representing the city at the International Air Show and did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The board approved the report on a 4-1 vote, with the only no vote being the mayor's appointee to the board, Al Higdon, co-founder of the marketing agency Sullivan Higdon & Sink, now Signal Theory.
After the March meeting, Wu called the proclamation a political move by former mayor Brandon Whipple's political team. She also said the proclamation 'segregated' Wichita's transgender community.
The proclamation was requested by Chris Pumpelly early this year through Proud of Wichita: the LGBTQ Chamber. Pumpelly is running for District 1's open seat on the city council; he didn't announce his intent to run until earlier this month.
The mayor has said she has received racist emails as backlash after she did not read the proclamation, with one email using a racial slur for Asian people.
