Russell County officials finish new disclosure forms, promise to do better

ABINGDON, Va. – Three months after the Bristol Herald Courier reported on improperly completed disclosure forms filed by the Russell County Board of Supervisors, new forms have been finished and county officials are promising to do better.

“Basically, after the learning in the first round that we had used the wrong form … I went back and discussed it with our attorney and got some better definitions and met with each member and asked them to re-fill out the forms,” County Administrator Jim Gillespie said. “We do have everything put in place to go forward from here and ensure that it is done correctly.”

Obtained through a request under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, the new forms show substantially more information – including such required details as real estate owned, financial investments, employment information and gifts. In August, the Herald Courier reported that a review of the forms found five of the county board’s six members had signed identical, incomplete forms, all in what appeared to be the same handwriting. But no one in the county government seemed to know why.

Virginia law states that knowingly neglecting to fill out the forms properly is a misdemeanor. But the Russell County Commonwealth’s Attorney, Brian Patton, who is responsible for ensuring that the forms are filled out, has been silent on the issue. Patton has not returned phone calls on the issue, both before and after his landslide victory in this month’s election.

On the earlier forms, each of five Russell County board members with incomplete information had signed a version with every box checked “no” and with the bulk of the employment sections left blank. Assistant County Administrator Alice Meade, who initially claimed board members filled out the forms themselves, later acknowledged filling them out herself.

Board members blame the lack of information on the original forms on a misunderstanding of what was required and a series of unrelated errors – such as forgetting they received hundreds of dollars in gifts and owned multiple rental properties.

“I thought I had already entered what was required,” said Supervisor Shy Kennedy, who was elected to the post two years ago.
On his revised form, Kennedy added real estate in two Virginia counties and three states, and more than $300,000 in investments.

“I can assure you one thing: it’s filled out right now,” Kennedy said. “I think I’m up-to-date, and whatever happened in the past has already happened, but it’s correct now and I think that’s all we’ve got to worry about is it’s correct and as far as I know it’ll be correct from here on out.”

Supervisor Mike Puckett, also assistant superintendent of the county’s school system, said he wasn’t trying to hide anything when he omitted personal debts, a $2,400 honorarium for the Cumberland Plateau Planning District Commission and $706 reception in Richmond.

“I made a mistake. That’s just the way it was,” Puckett said. “I’ve been in this too long to try to do something not the right way.”

Supervisor Bob Keene, who added rental property and other real estate on his revised form, said Gillespie and County Attorney Dennis Jones helped him get it right.

“I didn’t know how to fill them out,” said Keene, who at first claimed his initial incomplete form was correct.

Bill Wampler, who lost his re-election bid by 58 votes, listed an employer, rental income and payment for meetings and events on his revised form.
“The first one was on the rental; that was a mistake,” Wampler said. “I inherited that house in 2007, and I just forgot it.”

He also said he didn’t know he should include the $531 value of his attendance at a meeting connected to his employment at Russell County Southern States, employment that also was not mentioned on the original form. He said when he filled out the first form he wasn’t on the board of the Russell County Department of Social Services, and he thought he’d listed the $2,400 for participating on the Russell County Planning Commission.

Since then, Wampler said, he “got on the Internet and did a lot of research on … how it was supposed to be done.”

“I’m not a crook,” he said. “I do make mistakes. I am human.”

Supervisor Danny Brown, who could not be reached for comment, added personal debts, honoraria for participation on the Cumberland Plateau Planning District Commission and Russell County Social Services Board, and gifts valued at close to $3,000.

Jon Bowerbank, the one supervisor who filled out the original form with attention to detail, also made an addition. In July, he added out-of-state property, a new requirement on the latest form.

“The role of the press keeps us pointed in the right direction sometimes,” Bowerbank said. “Thank you for your help.”

dmccown@bristolnews.com | (276) 791-0701