by Matt Marquardt –
NorthIowaToday.com has a new policy in place effective immediately. When a public official is questioned, and they refuse to answer, NIT will publish the email that was sent to that official.
The following email, below, was sent on Wednesday, March 27th to Cerro Gordo County Supervisors Jay Urdahl and Phil Dougherty regarding a meal that was purchased for them the previous day at a Mason City restaurant.
To this point, Urdahl and Dougherty have offered no response. Urdahl accepted another free lunch the very next day, purchased by Mayor Eric Bookmeyer. Urdahl was scheduled to eat free a third time Thursday at a North Iowa Corridor Board meeting.
The Iowa Ombudsman’s Office has been contacted by myself and other concerned citizens. To this point, the Ombudsman has stated that the $3.00 gift limit applies only when gifts or meals are received by public officials by what Iowa law calls “restricted donors.” The case will be made to the Iowa Ombudsman that the man who purchased lunch for Urdahl and Dougherty was a restricted donor. The same arguments will be presented to the Ombudsman that Bookmeyer was a restricted donor when he purchased meals for about a dozen elected officials on Wednesday at the Mason City Public Library, as well as other violations at that meeting.
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from: Matt Marquardt <northiowatoday@gmail.com>
to: JUrdahl@co.cerro-gordo.ia.us, PDoughe@co.cerro-gordo.ia.us
date: Wed, Mar 27, 2013 at 9:47 AM
subject: LUNCH AT CHOP
Good morning gentlemen,
I have received word that you have read the article on NorthIowaToday.com involving a meal purchased for you both at Chop Restaurant in Mason City. As I am sure you are aware, it is against the law in Iowa for elected officials to accept a gift – including meals – at a value greater than $3.00.
http://northiowatoday.com/
It would only be fair to you both to seek a comment, which I am now attempting to do.
For the record, on March 26th, did either of you accept a free meal and fail to reimburse the person who paid for it?
So you think your threat to publish a note every time an official refuses to answer your question is going to accomplish what? Maybe if you sought first to understand “Covey” rather than crucify everyone “bible” you could get some one to give you the time of day.
Get over yourself and try to make this site a legit news source and not electronic rag that it has become.
I am so glad that some independent person will determine if this is a “restricted donor”. However if the person is found not to be in that category, those that are critical will disagree.
Back before the corridor was formed the EDC billed each board member in advance for their meals for the year. It was $7 per month. I haven’t heard that the Corridor is doing anything different. I assume that the County paid for the meals for the Supervisors. The appropriateness of that is another question. They are probably going to eat a Neal anyway even if they aren’t at a meeting so it seems to me that they shouldn’t be reimbursed for the first $5 to $10 of their meal. I wonder just how much the supervisors get reimbursed for meals and mileage each year.?