THE ISSUE IS ETHICS, NOT EXPENSE

The mayor of Scott City and a council member have been charged following a Missouri Ethics Commission investigation. A special county prosecutor alleges that the two misled the council into paying a false bill.

The initial dispute centered on whether a sitting councilman could be hired as the public works director. The city attorney questioned the legality.

The charge alleges that Mayor Jerry Cummins then sought an opinion from a law firm in Columbia and turned that firm's bill in as a "planing and zoning" expense. Council member Marsha Zimmerman allegedly knew of the nature of the bill, but the rest of the council did not. Both Zimmerman and Cummins have denied any wrongdoing.

The dispute is not one of money -- the bill was only $280. The issue is ethics.

When questions about ethics arise, agencies are in place to investigate. Those charged will have their day in court. This incident provides a telling reminder of the checks and balances that exist in government.