Contributed photo
Contributed photo
Bellmont Mayor Gary Lance didn’t like getting caught using a village-owned tractor to prepare places for his boat and RV, so he filed a no contact order to stop what he called stalking against those who filmed him.
Five Bellmont residents, including a village trustee, saw the mayor using the village tractor to spread rock on his own property to create the spaces, the Edgar County Watchdogs said. They shot video of him and posted it on Facebook and YouTube.
Lance filed a motion for stalking-no contact order in Wabash County Circuit Court against Jon King, a village trustee, and Bill Eblen, Susan King, David King and Amber Banks.
The Edgar County Watchdogs said the video of the mayor spreading gravel was made after he locked village trustees out of Village Hall. A video of the sign he posted on the Village Hall appeared on YouTube, also.
Article VII, Section 1 (a) of the Constitution of Illinois states, “Public funds, property or credit shall be used only for public purposes.”
Former LaHarpe Mayor Ryan Kienast fell violated this law. He resigned in May 2017 after directing a village worker to use a village backhoe to work on his private property. He subsequently pleaded guilty to one count of attempted official misconduct, wgem.com reported. He was sentenced to 12 months court supervision and ordered to pay $1,099 in fines and fees.
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