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Wellsburg woman to serve on ethics commission

Davis

WHEELING — With a background in journalism, keeping an eye on public officials comes somewhat naturally to Wellsburg resident Lynn Davis.

That, Davis believes, will serve her well in her newest role — as a member of the West Virginia Ethics Commission. Gov. Jim Justice appointed Davis to a vacant seat on the commission in August.

Davis believes much of the public lacks awareness of the ethics commission and its duties. The nine-member panel handles formal complains about violations of the West Virginia Ethics Act — a code of conduct which applies to all public officials, whether elected or appointed — and issues advisory opinions to government officials or agencies about whether an act would run afoul of the law.

Davis — who ran unsuccessfully for a House of Delegates seat in 2012 — said serving on the commission appealed to her because its purpose is aligned with her motivation to seek public office.

“I think the ethics commission is extremely important,” Davis said. “It’s a concern of mine as a taxpayer (ensuring) that our money is not being misused or misappropriated in any way. … That was part of my reason for running” in 2012.

Serving on a state board is something to which Davis has aspired for many years. She said she sent a letter to a previous administration “to ask to be appointed to something.”

“I wanted to serve in some capacity,” Davis said.

About three months ago, Davis finally got the call.

“I am enjoying it. It’s extremely interesting,” Davis said. “My impression really is how impressed I am with the competence and the professionalism of the ethics commission staff. … There are very few people in that office and they have a lot of work to do, and they do it well.”

According to its website, the ethics commission functions with a staff of five full-time and two part-time employees.

Davis said in her brief time on the commission, she’s learned much about the struggles faced by many small towns. Just last month, the panel granted a contract exemption to the town of Reedsville in Preston County — population approximately 600 — allowing the town council to contract with its mayor’s excavation company because several previous attempts to seek bids had been unsuccessful.

And earlier this month, the commission granted an exemption to Fairview, a Marion County town of about 400, allowing its mayor and a councilman to serve as temporary water utility employees while the town’s water plant operator recovers from a severe injury.

The opinion notes Fairview itself has only five employees, and the water plant only two — one of whom splits time doing general maintenance work for the town.

Although the commission does handle complaints about public employees or officials misusing taxpayer money, she said the Reedsville situation is representative of the bulk of what the board deals with: small-town officials who are uncertain just what the law does and does not allow.

“I think a lot of people are cynical about government, and they just assume that a lot of government officials aren’t trying to do the right thing, so they might be surprised to know that many of them are,” Davis said.

Davis is a former attorney, who served as an assistant prosecutor in Missouri before moving to the Ohio Valley. She is a former reporter for The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register and currently works as a reporter for the Brooke Review.

“As a reporter, I’ve always wanted to report facts. … I think that’s kind of what the ethics commission has to do, too,” Davis said. “It’s not a political thing. They’re not issuing opinions on any kind of agenda, they’re just following the rules.”

Davis, who is filling an unexpired term, will be a member of the ethics commission through June 30, 2020.

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