The current mayor of Huntersville, N.C. said he would not accept a free family membership to NorthStone CC, as the previous mayor had done. In Maryland, a Baltimore County Executive and potential candidate for governor listed two honorary social memberships to private clubs with his financial disclosure filing, but did not list their estimated value and said they posed no conflict-of-interest issues.
WSOC-TV in Charlotte reported that it was investigating whether a free country club membership that had been granted to the previous mayor of Huntersville, N.C. by NorthStone Country Club of Huntersville constituted a violation of ethics rules.
Huntersville’s current mayor, John Aneralla, told the station that he had been offered a free family membership at NorthStone that included privileges for golf, tennis, the club’s pools and its fitness center, as a continuation of a perk that had been offered to previous mayors.
“I immediately replied that it would be inappropriate for an elected official to accept such a gift,” Aneralla told WSOC, citing a town policy that prohibits elected officials from accepting gifts valued at more than $50.
Aneralla said he had been told by the club’s general manager that Huntersville’s previous mayor of eight years, Jill Swain, had accepted the family membership worth $4,900 a year.
WSOC contacted Swain and reported that she did not directly answer when asked if she had accepted the membership. “The Town of Huntersville utilized the [Economic Development Commission] membership for special events or dinners with corporate prospects,” Swain told the station.
Aneralla told WSOC that he had forwarded the country club’s e-mail that offered him the membership to the State Board of Elections, and that he had also reported to that Board what he had learned about the offer made to the former mayor.
“I didn’t want to be accused of knowing something for a long period of time, then releasing it to the media, and it’s the right thing to do,” Aneralla said in explaining his actions.
A spokesperson for the State Board of Elections confirmed that the office is aware of the complaint and is gathering more information, WSOC reported.
Aneralla said the Huntersville town manager had also had a free membership to the country club, WSOC reported, but the current mayor said the town’s attorney had now let NorthStone’s management know that free memberships are no longer allowed to be offered to town employees.
Aneralla also said he was told that Swain was still receiving a free membership to the country club, because NorthStone’s general manager didn’t realize she was no longer the mayor, WSOC reported.
WSOC’s report also included a comment from Patti Cover, who lives near the country club and said, “I’m not sure that’s the right thing to do, for a mayor to accept a gift like that.”
In Maryland, The Baltimore Sun reported that Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz continued receiving “honorary social memberships” at two private country clubs in the area, according to his financial disclosure filing for 2016.
Kamenetz, a Democrat who is considering a run for governor next year, listed social memberships at Woodholme Country Club in Pikesville, Md. and Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Md. on his annual financial disclosure for last year, The Sun reported.
“As county executive I am offered honorary social membership at Woodholme CC and Caves Valley CC,” Kamenetz wrote in his disclosure. “I do not play golf and personally pay any incidental meal charges.”
Kamenetz did not list an estimated value for the honorary memberships, The Sun reported.
Kamenetz also listed both memberships in his 2015 disclosure, but only listed the Woodholme membership for 2014, The Sun reported.
Each May 1, the county executive, members of the Baltimore County Council, top government officials, and members of county boards and commissions must file financial disclosures covering the previous calendar year, The Sun reported. Elected officials, department directors and deputy department directors must list information about properties they own, certain investments, sources of income besides the county, and gifts they received worth more than $20.
Members of boards and commissions must only disclose any financial interests related to the board or commission they serve on, The Sun reported.
For gifts, Kamenetz mainly listed tickets to social and arts events, The Sun reported.
Stacie Burgess, a spokeswoman for Kamenetz, told The Sun that there was no conflict of interest in the county executive accepting gifts from developers and country clubs.
“The disclosure of the minimal nature of the items in the report makes it clear that there are no conflict-of-interest issues,” Burgess said.
Kamenetz has never used his social membership at Caves Valley, Burgess added, and when he has visited Woodholme, he has paid “all incidental charges” and has not played golf.
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