For the second time in two months, the Hampton Ethics Committee has ruled in a case involving a member of the City Council.
The committee met March 19 and heard a complaint filed against council member Elton Brown, after which it found Brown in violation of Section 2-291 (5) of the city code – in particular the phrase, “All citizens should be treated with courtesy, impartiality and equality.” The committee is recommending that the City Council give Brown a public reprimand.
The ethics charges stemmed from the October 9, 2018 City Council meeting, during which Brown made a lengthy statement which one complainant termed a “lecture,” repeatedly using abusive and condescending language toward current and former council members, city employees and the general public.
Three citizens spoke on the record at the ethics committee hearing to air their complaints, after which Brown spoke and apologized for nothing he had said or done. In fact, he doubled down after being asked by a member of the committee if he wished, upon further reflection, to retract anything he had previously said.
Arley Lowe, a former city councilman and the one who filed the complaint, charged that Brown suggested citizens were racists and questioned the patriotism of the entire city. “It is apparent Mr. Brown has no respect for the citizens,” he said.
In his statement Lowe cited a number of direct quotes from council meetings to show that Brown insulted former elected officials; accused Mayor Steve Hutchison of incompetence and city employees of laziness; and failed to follow meeting guidelines which require him to address the mayor and not other council members or the audience.
When it was his turn to address the committee, Brown strode to the podium in his military uniform, touted his nearly three decades of prior service. He said he wanted to use his time to show how Hampton treats its veterans.
“These aren’t just pretty ribbons. I earned every one of these. No one can take them away from me,” he said. “I’ll be damned if I’m going to come back to my city of Hampton and be taken down by these people who don’t know what it means to be a veteran.”
Brown used much of his remarks not to address the charges against him but instead to focus on various initiatives that he said prove Hampton is negligent in its treatment of veterans. When he did talk about his conduct at meetings, he was defiant, pointing out that citizens are not to interrupt him when he has the floor and if the mayor cannot control the meeting, it proves he is incompetent.
“I couldn’t care less if any of you like me,” he said. “I came here to do a job as a city councilman and I’m doing it to the best of my ability.”
After talking some more about recent efforts to repair a house for a local veteran, Brown went on one more offensive toward his accusers.
“We don’t pay city taxes. For some reason [citizens] think that because we’re sitting up here and they voted for us, they pay our bills. I don’t owe them anything. Nothing at all. In fact, I’m sure that those who are accusing me of these things didn’t vote for me, so as far as I’m concerned they’re not my constituents. My constituents are the ones that voted for me and want change in the city. I will run them over and put them in a hole before I give up my cause and what I’m supposed to do.”
The committee voted 5-0 to find Brown in violation of Section 2-291 (5) and a vote on a separate violation of another code section failed 2-3.
“This type of conduct is unbecoming of an of a public official representing this city and its constituents, and therefore must not be exhibited in public forums,” committee chairman Bud Smith stated just before the vote to recommend a public reprimand, which was also unanimous. Ironically, it was Brown who filed an ethics complaint against fellow council member Stephanie Bodie that was heard by the committee last month. The committee found no violations in Bodie’s case.
