The Surprise Vice Mayor recently brought an ethics complaint against the Surprise Mayor, saying she was violating policy by using her official title to campaign and fundraise for city council candidates.
Surprise city council voted 4-3 to reprimand Mayor Sharon Wolcott for violating council policy raised in an ethics complaint filed by Vice Mayor Jim Biundo.
The complaint comes after Wolcott held a fundraiser, put calls out and sent flyers campaigning for candidates running for city council.
One of those candidates is running against Biundo this election season, but he says that’s not the reason he filed the complaint.
“Doing it under the auspices of the title of mayor, it certainly breaches city of Surprise rule of conduct,” Biundo said.
Wolcott commented at the city council meeting, saying the actions being taken were "reprehensible."
“I believe this spectacle only proves that the policy [he] invoked needs work,” Wolcott said.
Those voting against the reprimand said Wolcott hadn’t broken any laws and was allowed under the first amendment to campaign as she did.
