Published: November 23, 2009 11:23 pm      

Questions lead to shouting match

Resident removed from Tipton County commissioners meeting

TIPTON — A Tipton County sheriff deputy escorted a county resident out of a Board of Commissioners meeting Monday after questions over a commissioner’s alleged official misconduct digressed into shouting.

Tipton resident Jim Leffler approached the commissioners during their meeting and accused Commissioner Mike Cline of improper behavior because he did not tell the other commissioners he was attending a meeting in July and another in August.

Cline said he was within legal limits to meet one-on-one without telling the other commissioners.

“I wouldn’t schedule a meeting or do something you’re not supposed to do,” Cline said.

Leffler also alleged recent executive meetings covered personnel matters that the county did not publicly advertise. The commissioners denied discussing personnel matters at those meeting.

Ken Ziegler, president of the Board of Commissioners, defended Cline, saying the “meetings are always done in a proper manner.”

Jane Harper, the board’s vice president, said she had not heard about the July meeting, but she added the meeting was scheduled to be between one commissioner, Tipton Mayor Dan Delph, the county attorney and the Indiana inspector general.

Leffler and the commissioners began shouting at each other, and Ziegler said he “had enough” and asked a deputy to show Leffler out of the meeting room.

Leffler’s complaints came less than a week after the announcement of an investigation into Cline.

Tipton County’s Circuit Court judge appointed a special prosecutor last week to investigate whether the commissioner’s actions were appropriate.

Howard County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Mark McCann is looking into the July meeting, which appears to have addressed the Tipton County Economic Development Corp. The meeting led the Indiana State Board of Accounts to issue a subpoena for financial records from the Tipton County EDC.

McCann is also investigating Harper, who said last week she thought the case regarded a complaint filed against her by former commissioner Dennis Henderson. Henderson claimed Harper altered public records. It is the second time McCann has investigated Harper this year.

• Daniel Human is a Kokomo Tribune staff writer. He can be reached at 765-454-8570 or at daniel.human@kokomotribune.com.