93.9 The Eagle – The News and Talk of Columbia, MO
Columbia city councilman Ian Thomas on Monday night said he was sorry again for an apparent ethics violation.
“These actions have undermined trust in government and brought this city council into disrepute, so I apologize to all of you for that,” Thomas told fellow council members during the meeting at city hall.
Thomas set up a deal with a developer late last year to support affordable housing in town. He said he would vote for the Oakland Crossings project, if the developer gave money to the Columbia Community Land Trust. He has self-reported to the Missouri Ethics Commission.
I thought I could broker a win-win for all parties, and in over-enthusiasm of those goals I kind of lost sight of the bigger picture,” Thomas said.
Mayor Brian Treece suggested more ethics training for council members, after they are elected but before they are sworn in.
I didn’t trust the COMO City Council before this happened.
Pay for Play. How is this different from what has been occurring for years? Certain developers are given carte blanche on projects because of their relationships with the city council and P&Z while others are railroaded with every unneeded “study” and delay, and then blocked at every turn. Government has always run this way. Money talks and BS walks.