Overture Center for the Arts theater technician Davin Pickell filed three ethics complaints this past week against Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, Overture Center President Tom Carto and 201 State Foundation chairperson Deirdre Garton.
Pickell's complaints against Carto and Garton alleged they both violated the ""privilege and advantage"" section of the ethics code in regard to an e-mail Garton allegedly sent October.
The ""privilege and advantage"" section of the code states no city official can request or permit the use of city-owned materials or property for ""personal convenience or profit.""
Within Pickell's complaint against Garton, he said Garton sent an e-mail, possibly from a city computer, to an Overture Center for the Arts mailing list with the Overture letterhead.
""Ms. Garton is primarily a private citizen, with private interests, including private interests currently before the Common Council,"" Pickell wrote in his complaint against Garton. ""As the chair the board of the privately operated 201 State St. Foundation, she has a personal interest in the outcome of the public policy decision.""
The complaint against Carto said he violated the code by allegedly allowed Garton to use city-owned equipment and send the e-mail.
""[Carto] bears ultimate responsibility for letting … Garton use City owned equipment to lobby support for a Public Policy issue currently before the Madison Common Council,"" Pickell stated in his complaint against Carto.
Pickell's complaint against Cieslewicz states the mayor violated the ""Standards of Conduct: Influence and Reward"" section of the ethics code.
Pickell claimed Cieslewicz is in violation of the ethics code due to the Ethics Board's ruling on city officials soliciting funds from private entities that do business with the city regularly.
Pickell's complaint alleged Cieslewicz is ""soliciting funds"" from private donors in order to resolve the center's $28 million debt meanwhile he is arguing for the Common Council to support the city's purchase of the Overture Center.
The date for a possible hearing of the complaints has not yet been scheduled.
