The Danville Board of Ethics met Wednesday for what its chairman called the "preliminary stages" of hearing complaints against Mayor Hugh Coomer. The board has decided a hearing is necessary on seven of the 10 complaints.
Last month, three of four city commissioners approved sending 10 allegations of ethics violations against Coomer to the ethics board. Today, the board met to discuss the charges.
After a short executive session, members returned to a good-sized crowd. Chairman Jim Sullivan told the public twice that it was not a public hearing, and only the mayor could speak if he so desired.
Two of the ethics charges were thrown out because they did not meet the one-year statute of limitations for the board. Another charge against Coomer, alleging that he attempted to influence the ethics board's appointment of two new committee members, was dismissed as unfounded.
