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Jefferson City Council shows support for administrator

jeffcitymo.org

The Jefferson City Council showed support for its City Administrator Friday whose job was in question following a controversial email he sent suggesting some funds for the fire department could be used for other departments.

The council voted eight to two in a vote of confidence in favor of city administrator Nathan Nickolaus in a special council meeting Friday. Nickolaus had come under fire over an email he sent regarding a proposed sales tax for the city’s fire department. In the email he suggested that some money in the fire department’s budget could be spent on other departments if the measure passed, which went against supporters of the measure that said no other department could benefit from the tax. City Counselor Drew Hilpert says he did not feel the email warranted a complaint to the Missouri Ethics Commission.

“One of the ethical rules that attorneys have to follow is that you can’t file something with the court which you don’t believe is true. And I could not file a complaint with the Missouri Ethics Commission because I didn’t believe it to be true. I did not believe a law to be broken," said Hilpert.

During an open session citizens of Jefferson City voiced support for Mr. Nickolaus. Ed Bothie was one of them.

“This issue will be perceived by ordinary voters like me as being comparable to giving the electric chair to somebody for the guilty act of jaywalking," said Bothie.

After public comment the council voted six to four to remain in open session.