Government
BY JANE TURCHI
Mayor Lyle Nelson issued highest sanction for elected o cial refused to provide requested material, including text messages, and in doing so interfered with the investigation. What took place Directed by council, Mayor Pro Tem John
The city of Bastrop’s ethics commission unani- mously voted to issue Mayor Lyle Nelson a letter of reprimand, the highest sanction for an elected o- cial, at the ethics commission meeting on April 10. Based on submitted evidence, the board found Nelson interfered in the Visit Bastrop investigation by lying and withholding information relevant to the investigation. Ethics board member Barbara Caldwell called for the mayor to resign at the hearing, stating Nelson is “not the kind of mayor that we need or deserve.” The background A nancial audit by Haynie & Company found about $70,000 of public funds approved by former Visit Bastrop CEO Susan Smith—with whom Nelson had a romantic relationship—lacked proper docu- mentation between 2021-23. According to the audit, food and entertainment expenses were referenced related to the improper use of funds. The complaint against Nelson alleged that he
Kirkland led an ethics complaint against Nelson on Jan. 18 for his alleged interference in the Visit Bastrop investigation. The committee heard Kirkland’s testimony and reviewed the submit- ted evidence at the April 10 meeting. Prior to the mayor’s interview with investiga- tor Sarah Glaser of Lloyd Gosselink Attorneys at Law, he had completed his yearly ethics training. In the interview, Nelson claimed to have no romantic relationship with Smith, a statement he later admitted was a lie. The defense conceded the interference was intentional, but argued it was not wrongful as part of his right to privacy.
Mayor Lyle Nelson took oce in June.
JANE TURCHICOMMUNITY IMPACT
“I think it is time now Bastrop needs to move forward. We need to try to heal from this and Lyle, I think
you can do that ... I think that the council and you need to begin to work better for the citizens of Bastrop.”
BERNIE JACKSON, ETHICS COMMISSION MEMBER
12
COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
Powered by FlippingBook