The Watertown City Council unanimously voted to schedule an ethics hearing to consider charges and evidence against one of its council members.
Watertown City Councilor Cliff Olney is accused in a 2023 ethics complaint of disclosing confidential information and violating a conflict of interest in relation to the city’s purchase of the Watertown Golf Club last year.
Councilor Robert Kimball said he’s not pushing for Olney to be expelled from the council, but wants to proceed with a hearing, saying the council has not been presented with all of the evidence reviewed by the ethics board.
“I look forward to the opportunity to review and discuss the evidence with this council," Kimball said. "When we are done, I will very transparently let Mr. Olney and the citizens of Watertown know what I believe is the appropriate course of action."
Olney wanted to table the vote until the city could find an attorney – that was unsuccessful.
“I want the public to understand that I didn't do anything wrong," Olney said. "That I looked after their interests when I was here and will and always think of that first before I think about anything else and for me, what rubs against the law more than anything else is to be accused of doing something unethical while taking this job as seriously as I do."
Watertown Mayor Sarah Compo Pierce said it's time for the case to move forward.
“I think we've seen a lot of delay tactics here, including tonight saying that we should wait until we secure legal representation before we move forward with this process," Compo Pierce said.
No date has been set for the hearing. The council could eventually decide to remove Olney from council, censure him or do nothing.
