WASHOUGAL, Wash. -- Washougal City councilors voted unanimously Friday night to publicy censure Mayor Stacee Sellers.
Sellers had come under fire after Washington state auditors revealed that nearly $100,000 was missing from accounts used to fund two city-sponsored events.
Mayor Sellers ordered reporters away from City Hall on Friday after a meeting with state auditors over the city’s finances. Sellers threatened to call police if the reporters did not leave City Hall.
She then turned up for an impromptu press conference to announce her five-point plan in response to charges unearthed in the state audit. More: Missing: $100,000 in Washougal city funds
The plan came hours before the special City Council meeting to review the audit, which found undocumented city expenses totaling $30,000 for "live music" and $12,000 for Christmas ornaments, plus other questionable accounting.
Washougal Police Department sent extra men to the meeting because they anticipated a very angry crowd. The session was tense, but under control.
Sellers is in the midst of a tough campaign for re-election. Sean Guard, her opponent, alerted state auditors to some questionable city purchases.
The audit revealed the mayor spent more than $1,000 on alcohol purchases at a bar on the Las Vegas Strip. The charges were made to a city credit card.
Sellers repaid the money, the auditors said.
Her five point plan included:
- Reducing the number of city credit cards
- Making sure that city-sponsored event plans are open to public review
- Ethics training on travel expensing
- Hiring additional city budget accountants
- Better documenting city expenses to "increase transparency"
Sellers said that nothing she did "was done in malice," though she did not specifically admit to stealing or misappropriating any of the funds.
"I will strive to do better. I will strive to do better. I'm thankful that state auditors have brought shortcomings to light - we will be better," she said
