Ethics Violations Charge Lodged Against Mayor Pro-Tem

A member of the Royal Oak City Commission has been accused of violating the city's code of ethics as officials prepare to discuss making changes to the same code at City Hall tonight.

Mayor Pro-Tem Patricia Capello is accused of multiple ethics violations by Julie Tirony, a former employee at the Royal Oak Animal Shelter from May 2011 to February 2012. 

Tirony raised her concerns in a six-page letter to City Manager Don Johnson dated Feb. 22. In it, she alleged Capello used her commissioner title to bully her and former shelter manager, Lisa Yaeck. Both women resigned last year—Tirony left in February, Yaeck in March. 

In the letter, Tirony claims to have documented problems with Capello "creating strife" beginning in mid-July 2011. She alleges, Capello generated a tense atmosphere, finding fault with everything shelter employees were doing—from the amount of food dogs were fed, to the treats on the shelves, to the hours worked.

Tirony alleges Capello's actions violated an ethics code that states a commissioner shall treat a member of the public with courtesy, as well as several other ethics codes. (Tirony's letter is attached to this article as a PDF.)

"I would have stayed forever silent to the things that happened at the shelter and chalked it up to crossing paths with someone who wouldn't tolerate anyone disagreeing with her," Tirony wrote in the letter dated Feb. 22.

"When Ms. Capello raised the issue of of ethics the first time at a city commission meeting in August 2012, I was disgusted. When she raised it again at a city commission meeting in September 2012, I was appalled. When she brought it up yet again in an effort to keep it in the forefront of the news at a January 2013 meeting, I couldn't stay quiet any longer," Tirony wrote.

Tirony is referring to Capello requesting a special meeting last August, along with Commissioner Peggy Goodwin, to ask for an independent investigation concerning the actions of City Commissioner Jim Rasor and an  The request resulted in an investigation in which attorney William Hampton prepared a report clearing Rasor of the charges. 

In January, Capello was back before the commission questioning the seriousness of the investigation on whether or not the actions of her fellow commissioner constituted an ethics violation.

"It has really bothered me to see someone who has acted so unethically holding themselves up as someone to be emulated," Tirony wrote.

Capello responds to charges

After a discussion of changes to the ethics ordinance at the last city commission meeting, Capello addressed Tirony's letter.

"She has the right to acknowledge and charge as she chooses. I am a public figure," Capello said.

Of the allegation she does not treat members of the public with courtesy, Capello said she was unhappy with overcrowding, the cleanliness and general operations at the shelter.

"There were cats stacked wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling and pervasive illness," Capello said. "She has indicated I did not treat them with courtesy. That is a matter that I think this commission will probably take a look at."

Of other allegations in the letter, Capello said they are untrue.

"I am quite sure if anyone looks into it, they will find nothing there," she said.