Sellers joins Monroe Salary Commission after shaky initial reception

It took a little longer than Monroe Mayor Geoffrey Thomas anticipated, but the Monroe City Council voted unanimously last week to accept his recommendation of Ashley Sellers for appointment to the Monroe Salary Commission.-á

Thomas initially recommended Sellers for appointment to the commission in December, but several councilmembers opposed the appointment after former Councilmember Kurt Goering raised concerns. Goering said Sellers had recently served as campaign treasurer for a newly elected councilmember, and expressed worry about a potential conflict of interest. Councilmember Kevin Hanford sided with Goering, also citing concerns over remarks made by Sellers during a public hearing.

The city's legal counsel advised that there was no conflict of interest as defined by state law or Monroe Municipal Code.

Sellers spoke out against the refusal, feeling she was unfairly targeted. While doing research, she had discovered that another member of the salary commission had made monetary donations to more than one of Monroe's elected officials, and questioned why that wasn't presented as an issue.

Later, Sellers and Hanford had the opportunity to work out their differences during a one-on-one interaction. Hanford later changed his position as a result of that conversation, stating on Dec. 15 he would support Sellers for appointment in the future. It was Hanford who moved to appoint Sellers last Tuesday, with a second by Councilmember Jeff Rasmussen.

The appointment passed 6-0.

The Monroe Salary Commission was created last year and is tasked with review and evaluation of the salaries of Monroe's elected officials. All five seats on the commission are now full.