Meffley: The County Council President’s Ethics Violations
Violation: Code 39-14 Sections 1 a and b, and 2
Many know that Councilman Bob Meffley of Cecil County District 1 is the owner of a business called H&B Plumbing.
What some may not know is that in the during his tenure on the County Council, H&B Plumbing has been employed many times by the county to do work for its various departments.
This is a violation of the County Code.
Section 39-14 1a of the Code clearly states: “Except as permitted by regulation of the Commission when the interest is disclosed or when the employment does not create a conflict of interest or the appearance of conflict, an official or employee may not be employed by or have a financial interest in any entity subject to the authority of the official or employee or the County agency, board, commission with which the official or employee is affiliated,” and, “may not be employed by or have a financial interest in any entity that is negotiating or has entered a contract with the agency, board, or commission with which the official or employee is affiliated.”
As a council member, Mr. Meffley oversees policies and votes on the budget used by the various department and being the owner of a business that is entering into contracts with and taking service calls to do work for those departments constitutes a conflict of interest.
Section 2 states: “An official or employee may not hold any other employment relationship that would impair the impartiality or independence of judgement of the official or employee.”
Through his affiliation with both sides of the negotiation, Mr. Meffley and the departments that employ H&B Plumbing have a mutually beneficial relationship that can influence his judgment when making important decisions about them. The contracts he receives and funds with his position on the Council renders impartiality impossible.
Complaint form: https://www.ccgov.org/home/showdocument?id=33239
Accounts Payable look up: https://www.ccgov.org/government/finance/vendor-purchase-order-detail-greater-than-500-00
Note: Only a few examples are listed below. There a many more available for your review via the link above, which is the County’s own website. We opened the PDF files that they supplied from the county and searched the key word “Plumbing.”
Need to get rid of Bob Meffley and Alan McCarthy. Filed complaints about Alan McCarthy it was swept under the rug.
Repay it and fire him.
Still can’t understand why people think business is a good approach to politics. The practices that are actually taught in business school are terrible for the masses. Profit at all cost, shady contracts, slowly incremental price hikes, etc.
You don’t need to own a business to balance a budget. You don’t need a business to be able to negotiate. Closed door deals usually only benefit those behind the doors.