Amanda FriesDelaware News Journal
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- A resolution to censure Wilmington City Councilperson Zanthia Oliver was defeated by council members, 10-2, in a public vote Thursday.
- The censorship was prompted by an ethics violation she was publicly admonished for in April.
- The last time the legislative body voted to censure a colleague was in 2017 with former Councilperson Samuel L. Guy.
The Wilmington City Council on Thursday declined to censure Councilperson Zanthia Oliver over an ethics violation she was publicly admonished for in April.
Oliver was given a “public reprimand” by the city Ethics Commission earlier this year for her 2020 vote supporting a $200,000 grant for her brother’s nonprofit, Our Youth Inc.
At the time of the reprimand, the councilperson apologized for voting in favor of the 196-page resolution that awarded U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funding to various organizations, including Our Youth Inc. run by Norman Oliver – a former councilperson and brother to Zanthia Oliver.
BACKGROUND: Wimington councilperson given 'reprimand' for approving $200K grant to brother's nonprofit
While the Wilmington Ethics Commission weighed in on the issue, City Council members had not, which is why Councilperson Shane Darby sponsored the resolution.
“This resolution is really about awareness, transparency and accountability,” Darby said during Thursday’s City Council meeting. “I’m glad that we were able to have a discussion about this.”
The resolution was defeated 10-2, with one member absent.
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Council members opposed to the move stressed they were not condoning Oliver’s behavior, but censuring her was unnecessary and “a bit extreme.”
“The matter has already made several news cycles. It’s already been very public, and to issue a censure, to me, seems extremely punitive,” Councilperson Latisha Bracy said. “The process worked, a complaint was filed, the commission did its job and they did it well.”
Why did Wilmington council consider censuring Oliver?
During a May 2020 council Community Development and Urban Planning Committee, Oliver voted in favor of a resolution awarding federal money to various organizations, one of which was a nonprofit run by her brother Norman Oliver.
The Wilmington Ethics Commission received a complaint last April and the following month referred the matter to the city solicitor for investigation.
That probe found Oliver was at the May 14, 2020, meeting and “was aware at that time that Our Youth, Inc. was intended to be a beneficiary of the Action Plan,” according to the April 18 public reprimand.
The commission found Oliver’s vote violated City Code, which stipulates no elected official can weigh in on “any matter pending before the city in which he or she has a personal or private interest” nor can they vote on legislation where they have a personal interest. In these instances, elected officials must vote “present.”
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At the time the ethics complaint was submitted to the commission, Wilmington was considering a reduction in its annual HUD grant funds because of a federal review that found program money had been mismanaged. Many of the issues flagged by HUD centered around funding awarded to and projects developed by Our Youth Inc.
As Darby learned more about the HUD funding problems, she said she discovered more things that “didn’t sit right with me ethically.”
“These funds — they were mismanaged and brought harm to the community,” she said.
Wilmington has yet to satisfy all the problems flagged in the HUD review.
What does censuring a councilperson do?
The censure is a public admonishment and would have had no effect on Oliver’s position.
The last time the City Council censured another councilperson was in 2017 when the legislative body voted to censure then-Councilperson Samuel L. Guy for weeks of communication that his colleagues said was “abusive, berating, degrading and threatening.”
"Certain conduct of Councilman At-Large Samuel L. Guy, Esq. has served not only to hinder the effectiveness of the Session of City Council, but has also jeopardized and potentially tarnished its reputation in the eyes of the populace, to say nothing of the wasted time and resources dedicated to responding to the misconduct ...," the approved resolution stated.
Even then, the council was divided on the censorship, passing the resolution in an 8-5 vote.
Prior to 2017, the body hadn’t censured a member since 1978 when Councilman James Keeley pleaded guilty to a corruption charge.
Councilmembers and Oliver’s supporters came to her defense Thursday, noting that everybody makes mistakes and the councilperson has apologized for her errors.
Councilperson Michelle Harlee said the matter has already been addressed and it’s time to put it behind them.
“I think that as a council body, we really have been intentional and put forth effort to work together and be more unified, and to really carry ourselves in a respectful manner as it relates to our constituents and the community,” she said, adding that councilmembers’ comments in the community and on social media also must be tackled. “Let’s address speaking negatively about this body out in the community and social media because the community doesn't like it.”
Got a tip? Contact Amanda Fries at afries@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter at @mandy_fries.
