The Glendale Star
Related: [OPINION] 2 weeks left, so get to work
The following letter was sent to Attorney General Tom Horne, Maricopa County Supervisors Mary Rose Wilcox and Clint Hickman, Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery, Maricopa County Recorder Helen Purcell, and Glendale City Clerk Pam Hanna.
At this late date in the current Glendale City Council election, it has come to the attention of the below signatory that a violation of the Maricopa County Employee Ethics policies has or may have occurred. According to the Maricopa County Ethics Handbook “Policy”; Political Candidacy page 18: “A public employee, whether merit-covered or unclassified, may not be a candidate for nomination or election to any public office which is either paid or partisan. Upon the filling for nomination papers or making a formal public declaration of candidacy, an employee shall be required to submit a letter or resignation”, (Maricopa County Ethics Policy: http://www.maricopa.gov/InternalAudit/pdf/Controls/ethicsHandbook.pdf) also see; Guidelines: Use of Community College District Resources to Influence the Outcome of Elections, Arizona Attorney General’s Office 2006, A.R.S § 15-1408.
Mr. Jamie Aldama is a runoff candidate in the current Glendale City Council election, and is currently employed by Glendale Community College Structures Department (Aldama, Jamie, 623-206-7867, jamie.aldama@gccaz.edu (http://www2.gccaz.edu/directory)). Mr. Aldama provided a political committee campaign finance report dated Jan. 24, 2014; Mr. Aldama submitted signatures to place him on the elections ballot on May 27, 2014 at which point according to the given dates and according to Maricopa Ethic’s policy he should have submitted his resignation. He has loaned his campaign $2,500.00 (as of the post primary political committee campaign finance report dated Sept.r 25, 2014). Funds derived from continued employment through the county coffers.
These facts now before you demand immediate action. Mr. Aldama has earned a salary that has funded his campaign since Jan. 24, 2014. If Mr. Aldama wished to continue his candidacy for the Glendale City Council, then it would appear his continued employment should be terminated and any and all pay from January 24th, 2014 forward to this date, repaid to Maricopa County. With the facts before the addressees’ and due to a violation of ethics the below signatory request Mr. Aldama be immediately terminated as an employee of Maricopa County.
In lieu of termination and as an alternative. Mr. Aldama could voluntarily contact the Glendale City Clerk’s Office and withdraw as a candidate from the Glendale City Council election in the Ocotillo District. Should Mr. Aldama withdraw as a candidate, the issue of his continued employment with Maricopa County would be settled. As taxpaying citizens of Maricopa County and former Glendale City Council candidates in the Ocotillo district, we respectfully demand your immediate action in this matter.
