A report by Essex's integrity commissioner has been made against a second town councillor this year.
This time, Ward 4 Councillor Sherry Bondy is the subject of one of Robert Swayze's reports. The complaint was made by Mayor Larry Snively, claiming that Bondy repeatedly used her position to attack staff at a local energy company, both in person and on social media.
According to a report summary, released on the town's official website as part of the council's agenda for Monday's meeting, Bondy was accused of repeatedly harassing staff at E.L.K. Energy, by posting negative comments about them on social media, and recording a video of herself on the business' premises.
Bondy had previously served on the E.L.K. board of directors before resigning in 2019. Swayze said the harassment of the firm had been going on before then.
Swayze said, though, that the most egregious offence was the sharing of a drawing depicting a prisoner being led to a gallows. In her response to Snively's complaint about her, Bondy denied that the image was meant to describe anyone at E.L.K. Energy.
"I have conducted interviews as part of my investigation, and the impact of her constant negative comments on the morale of E.L.K. staff is a serious concern," wrote Swayze. "There appears to have been a reduction in the response to recruitment advertising as a result. In addition, complaints from the public have substantially increased from four years ago before she started stirring up the community. I am advised that the provision of reliable and good electrical service has increased over the past four years."
Snively made the complaint to Swayze on June 23, after Bondy criticized town staff for its policy on who can attend meetings in person during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Swayze has recommended that Bondy be suspended for 30 days without pay, a lesser penalty than the maximum 90 days since she has not been the subject of an investigation before.
The issue will be taken up at Monday's council meeting, and Bondy will have a chance to speak in her defence.
This report comes two months after Ward 3 Councillor Chris Vander Doelen was ordered by councillors to apologize and take sensitivity training for making tweets that some people felt attacked the Asian community or face suspension from council. Vander Doelen acknowledged that there was hurt caused by the tweets, but refused to apologize and called Swayze's report on him an overreaction.