South Arkansas Mayor Under Ethics Investigation

This is where Mayor Cole's home used to be until it was burned down this past summer. And recently, a Huttig citizen complained of city workers using city equipment and time to clean up the mayor's private property sparking an investigation by the Arkansas Ethics Commission.
 
The owners of the Knight's Convenience store in Huttig have filed a complaint with the Arkansas Ethics Commission against Mayor Tony Cole.

According to the commission, no public servant shall use or attempt to use his position to secure special privileges or exemptions for himself, something that Cole disputes he was doing.
 
"They're trying to make it seem like it's illegal activity that's going on when all of it was done on personal time never done on city time."
 
Cole says that the city council has agreed that it's ok for city equipment to be used as long as it benefits the community.
 
 "The employees that are employed by the city have always used the equipment as long as they were doing something to help the community and not making a financial gain off of it." 
 
While the owners of the Knight's convenience store didn't want to speak on camera, they argue that tax dollars shouldn't be used on the mayor's private property.

Meanwhile the mayor plans on taking legal action against the Knights for what he calls false allegations.
 
 "I will be pressing charges because of the slander and the misconduct that these people are trying to do to me." 

 "The Arkansas Ethics Commission has up to six months to conduct their investigation against Cole. If he's found guilty, he could face a fine of up to $2,000. And another investigation is currently ongoing into the cause of Cole's home burning down while he was out of town for a mayor's conference in June.