The Norfolk County integrity commissioner has dismissed a complaint against former mayor Kristal Chopp.
Filed last August, the complaint alleged that Chopp had inappropriately used the mayor’s chain of office in a campaign-type post on social media.
But the integrity commissioner Charles Harnick determined the chain isn’t part of “county property” that specifically can’t be used for electioneering.
“I must conclude that the Mayor’s chain of office is a symbol belonging to the mayor for the duration of the mayor’s term of office, to be used by the mayor as the mayor so please,” wrote Harnick in his decision, which was shared with councilors at last week’s council-in-committee meeting.
Harnick said council should decide whether to name the chain as county property and make amendments to the code of conduct that includes rules of use.
The posting by Chopp was made to her personal Facebook page at the end of July 2022, before she had announced whether or not she would again run for the mayor’s chair.
The split image showed the mayor, who is a professional pilot, sitting in the cockpit of an aircraft on one side and wearing the chain of office on the other.
A caption said “Ready for takeoff! #norfolkcounty.”
Harnick said whether Chopp was using the chain as part of a re-election campaign turned out to be irrelevant since the first issue was whether the chain is county property that is specifically not to be used for election purposes. He ruled it is not.
“Given the finding that the chain of office is not county property, based on the current Code of Conduct, it is not necessary for me to determine if the chain of office was being used for election purposes.”
Chopp was unseated in the October election by then-Councillor Amy Martin who received 42 per cent of the ballots for mayor, versus Chopp’s 26 per cent.
Harnick tendered his report mid-January and the council-in-committee received it as information, without comment.
@EXPSGamble