Soap Lake mayor under investigation for inappropriate conduct

SOAP LAKE — Soap Lake Mayor Michelle Agliano has taken a leave of absence from city administration after city staff made claims against her indicating that she had acted inappropriately and possibly illegally.

“These things are all being investigated, I am on leave until after the election at which time I will comply with whatever the City Attorney (Julie Norton) has recommended to the (Soap Lake City) Council,” Agliano said in a written statement to the Columbia Basin Herald.

In a subsequent interview with the paper, Agliano said she had left her city phone in her office with a voice recording app open and active. She had become concerned about things being said about her or behind her back while she was not there and indicated that she was unsure whom she could trust in her administration, she said. Agliano also said she was unaware that it wasn’t legal to record someone without their knowledge in the state of Washington.

In Washington, two-party consent is required when a recording is taking place, in most instances. This requirement is set forth in RCW 9.73.030.

Agliano said she had apologized to city employees who would have been heard on the recording and deleted the recording in front of them.

However, that also caused a concern under federal and state open records laws that prohibit deleting files from government-owned devices, including Agliano’s city cell phone.

Police Chief Ryan Cox said city staff had brought the issue of illicit recording to him.

“Staff reached out to me and asked if it was legal before they told me of the (specifics of) the situation, and I replied back to them, ‘No. It’s not,’” Cox said.

After staff explained to him the details of the situation, Cox said he contacted Norton to advise her of Agliano’s actions, which may violate whistleblower protections.

A city council meeting was called for Oct. 9 at 5:30 p.m. to discuss the allegations against Agliano. Mayor Pro Tem Leslie Taylor oversaw the meeting. Agliano has recused herself from meetings until after the upcoming election and Taylor is now acting mayor in her absence, Cox said.

Another concern that prompted Agliano to take a leave of absence was campaign ethics, she said. Agliano admitted to asking three city staffers, two women at City Hall and a man who works in the city’s Public Works Department, if they would help with her campaign and they had subsequently agreed to do so. However, she was later informed by her opponent in the mayoral race, Council Member Allen DuPuy, that doing so was considered an ethics violation.

Agliano said she was unaware of any ethics considerations associated with asking staff to help with her campaign.

“I was mortified,” Agliano said. “I went down and I apologized to the girls. I called the gentleman I had asked to help me from Public Works and I apologized to him.”

The Columbia Basin Herald reached out to Norton for comment regarding the situation.

“I cannot comment on the open investigation involving the city,” Norton said in an emailed response.

Cox said he has contacted an outside law enforcement agency to ask them to conduct the related criminal investigation because it would represent a conflict of interest for him and his officers to investigate the situation. He declined to identify the agency he’d reached out to because he hadn’t gotten a confirmation that that department would take the case on.

Agliano said deleting the file and apologizing to staff was done in an effort to correct her mistakes, and she hoped residents would appreciate that.

“I’m not a politician,” Agliano said. “I don’t backstab people, and that’s the main thing. I’m not a politician. I’m a caring, feeling person who just wants the best for my city.”

R. Hans Miller may be reached via email at editor@columbiabasinherald.com.