Posted on January 23, 2019
Author Anita Goodan, WKVI
Starke County Councilman Tom DeCola will submit a response to allegations in information presented during the Starke County Council meeting Tuesday night.
Starke County Commissioner Kathy Norem took DeCola to task for his alleged misconduct during a meeting of the Indiana Association of Counties in Indianapolis in December.
“I’m asking the county council to address the behavior and actions of Mr. DeCola when he was in Indianapolis at the Association of Counties meeting, and specifically I have two witness statements and I have a police report that all identified him accosting the women there in an inappropriate sexual manner, offering them cocaine if they allow him to stay in his room…there’s a whole host of things there,” said Norem. “There were more calls over this than I’ve gotten in six months over anything else. That is egregious behavior, that is inappropriate behavior, and that is certainly not how we want to be represented at a state meeting in Starke County.”
“You’re going to have a slander lawsuit here as soon as possible,” fired DeCola.
The police report from the Greendale Police Department provided to all of the council members and the media lists pending charges of disorderly conduct and public intoxication.
DeCola said it is all fictitious and asked that it be stricken from the discussion. Newly appointed Starke County Council President David Pearman said it was legitimate information and County Attorney Marty Lucas noted that by law the county council can determine what appropriate behavior is concerning its members.
DeCola said this is new information to him and would like to have time to answer to the allegations and Lucas said he agreed with him, in part, as due process does exist in the matter.
Councilman Bob Sims made a motion that DeCola address the allegations against him which was approved by the council members. DeCola will have an opportunity to answer to the charges or dispute them and provide just cause of why they would not be in violation of the rules of the council.
He said he will send a certified letter to the county to answer to the charges of whether or not they are legitimate. The council members gave him 30 days to complete that action.
He also commented that he doesn’t think this pertains to county business and rather it’s a police matter.
Aside from this matter, DeCola’s residency is still in question. Commissioner Kathy Norem initially brought the issue to light during the council’s meeting in December. DeCola said that he obtained a Certificate of Occupancy and that a copy of that document is filed in Starke County Building Inspector Terry Stephenson’s office when it was confirmed it was not on file. DeCola registered for candidacy with the address 7410 W. 250 S. in North Judson.
Norem noted Tuesday night that the Starke County Election Board has not yet met this month to discuss it. She also mentioned that she submitted all documents to the Starke County Prosecutor for review.
With that, Pearman asked for a motion to ask the Starke County Election Board and the Starke County Republican Party to provide confirmation that DeCola is from the district, lives in the district, and qualifies for his seat. The motion was approved with a vote of 5 to 1 with DeCola presenting the dissenting vote.
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