The City of Fostoria has chosen not to answer questions regarding the specifics of their partnership with Scanner Media and its representative, Zach Stumpf. The city’s refusal to go on record about the date and nature of Zach’s involvement raises serious concerns about transparency and accountability within the local government.
The Inquiry
An inquiry was submitted to the city outlining several concerns:
- Zach Stumpf and Scanner Media are performing some duties traditionally handled by a city public relations officer.
- There are no official written duties for Zach.
- Zach runs a media website with substantial social media following.
- Zach has access to the City’s YouTube account.
- Zach profits from Scanner Media’s YouTube account.
- His public duties benefit the online image of Scanner Media.
- He receives special treatment at city meetings, including preferred camera angles.
- He discriminated against interviewing mayoral candidate Shaffer prior to the last election. Instead he promoting his preferred candidate (Mennel). Scanner Media’s online accounts to promo
The City’s Silence
When asked for the date when Zach began conducting duties for the city, the administration provided a brief response:
“Thank you for sharing your concerns. The City administration and Council will continue to act in the best interests of the citizens of Fostoria in an ethical and legal manner.” – Stephanie Kiser, Law Director/Prosecutor
This lack of a substantive response hinders the public’s ability to understand the nature of the partnership and holds the city accountable for any potential conflicts of interest.
Potential Conflicts of Interest
The inquiry highlighted several areas of concern that suggest potential conflicts of interest:
- Media Access and Treatment: Zach receives special treatment as a media company representative, enjoying privileges not extended to other reporters.
- Election Fairness: During the last mayoral election, Zach’s refusal to interview mayoral candidate Shaffer, while interviewing the incumbent, raises questions about impartiality and potential civil rights violations.
- Transparency and Duties: The absence of official written duties and guidelines for Zach’s role creates a transparency issue, making it difficult to ascertain the boundaries of his responsibilities and access.
Call for Transparency
The inquiry requested the city to create a document clarifying duties, responsibilities, and access privileges for individuals performing public duties. This would help ensure transparency and delineate the boundaries of any such relationships, reducing potential conflicts of interest.
The Importance of Accountability
Transparency in government operations is crucial for maintaining public trust. By refusing to clarify the specifics of Zach’s involvement, the city is undermining its accountability. It is essential for the administration to address these concerns to avoid any perception of impropriety and ensure that all actions are in the best interests of Fostoria’s citizens.
Conclusion
The City of Fostoria’s silence on the partnership with Scanner Media and Zach highlights a significant transparency issue. The administration’s failure to provide clear answers or establish official guidelines for Zach’s role poses potential conflicts of interest and undermines public trust. The citizens of Fostoria deserve clarity and accountability from their local government to ensure ethical and legal conduct in all city affairs.
ORIGINAL ME
I have found the following to be true:
1. Zach/Scanner Media is performing some of the normal duties of a city public relations officer.
2. There are no clear and official/written duties for Zach.
3. The volunteer runs a news & media website and has 30,000 Facebook followers, and 11K YouTube followers.
4. The volunteer has access to the City YouTube Account
5. The volunteer profits from “Scanner Media”s YouTube account. (see attached)
6. The volunteer’s public duties benefits the online image of Scanner Media.
7. The volunteer is receiving special treatment as a media company- with camera angle privileges during meetings that other reporters do not receive.
8. The volunteer discriminated against interviewing mayoral candidate Shaffer prior to the last election.
A. What date Will the city go on record that Zach begin conducting duties for the city?
1. If he was acting on behalf of the city for anything during election season- It is my understanding that there are potential civil rights violations. This is in regards to choosing to only interview the current mayor and not his candidate.Has the city discussed the potential risks that this situation poses to the City of Fostoria? Why is the City maintaining a relationship that poses a clear conflict of interest? Is Zach subjected to Public Record requests?
Considering the lack of written duties there is 0% transparency on the relationship between the City & Scanner Media/Zach. There are also no official guidelines delineating the boundaries of duties.
I would like to request at a bare minimum that a document is created to clarify in detail: duties, responsibilities, and admin access privileges for City online accounts. Before retaining an attorney I am reaching out to give the City an opportunity to thoroughly examine all risks & declare all conflicts of interest in written form.
RESPONSE:
