CINCINNATI (WKRC) - A motion that the so-called Cincinnati Council "Gang of 5" be forced to pay back taxpayers is on hold while legal questions are cleared up. On Monday, Vice Mayor Christopher Smitherman said he'll ask the city's law department to ask the Ohio Ethics Commission for an opinion on the motion. The issue is whether members of council who would be impacted by the motion can vote on it or if that would be a conflict of interest.
Some want to see councilmembers P.G. Sittenfeld, Chris Seelbach, Wendell Young, Tamaya Dennard and Greg Landsman forced to pay the $176,000 in legal bills and fines. In March, a judge ordered the text messages sent among the members of council to be made public.
"I'm very disappointed that we've gotten to this point, that members of council clearly plead guilty or said yes, they did do these things in front of a judge, and then, ultimately, have the taxpayers on the hook for a $176,000 bill," said Smitherman.
It's not clear when a decision by the ethics commission could come.
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