Your editorial opinion (“City officials busy placing blame for mess on others,” Nov. 20) attempts to trivialize the important role ethics plays in public service. Without the assurance that our elected officials are adhering to the highest ethical standards we cannot be assured of a responsible, transparent and honest government.

It is not, as you state, Mark Dombroski vs. Bill Knobloch. Putting the breach of the ethic policy in that relationship implies that I was the only one expecting ethical behavior of council member Knobloch.

It further characterizes my request for an advisory opinion from the Board of Ethics as an act of vindictiveness. Neither can be further from the truth.

The entire community is harmed when the actions of an elected official are not consistent with the ethical standards adopted by the governing board.

Council member Knobloch was repeatedly requested by the city clerk over a period of seven months to complete his 2009 conflict of interests form. He acknowledged the requests by stating that he did not need to complete a 2009 form.

Not until my requesting an advisory opinion, which is appropriate action under our ethics policy, did Knobloch complete his conflicts of interest form.

Had I a desire to be vindictive I wouldn’t have waited for seven months and requested our city clerk to obtain the conflicts of interest form from Knobloch.

Also consistent with our ethics policy was my adherence to making the advisory opinion without reference to a specific elected official’s name.

I do not know how the Kitsap Sun was informed of the request or that it was in relation to Knobloch. I did inform the council, city attorney and city clerk of my actions by email. Within 30 minutes of that email notice I fielded a call from the Kitsap Sun reporter.

Sally Adams also has a right, and perhaps a duty, to request an advisory opinion when she believes an elected official has acted in an unethical manner.

While I know the pattern of facts concerning the issue Sally Adams is referring to, I do not believe council member Hilary Franz violated the ethics policy or law in her statements to Kevin Dwyer. Had I believed otherwise, I would have requested an advisory opinion myself.

However, I am not an expert in ethics which is exactly why the city has an ethics board. Sally Adams is following the same process I did and her request should not be also trivialized as an act of retaliation.

The Bainbridge Review is our local newspaper, for better or worse. I can only hope that in the future you do a better job of investigating and interviewing before publishing.

I also hope that you come to understand the importance ethics plays in politics and public administration. Characterizing my and Sally Adams’ actions as anything other than good pubic participation may give the next citizen pause before asking for ethics from our officials. And that is the biggest harm you have done with your article.

Mark Dombroski

Bainbridge Island