Don Scott | Fountain Hills
The ultimate judgment of Councilperson Skillicorn will be by his maker, not a town council. But for now, and with the rules before us, there is a responsibility of this council to act at this week’s Town Council meeting when Skillicorn’s Code of Ethics violations are considered for potential punishment.
“Approaching a town employee in an aggressive manner, making him fearful of his safety, attempting to access the interior of his truck, and making comments such as ‘you guys are really skating on thin ice’ when (employee) is enforcing the Town Code approved by Town Council is a violation of the Code of Ethics,” the law firm investigation reportedly states.
That type of manipulation, bullying and threatening action is unsurprising from someone who self-describes on social media as a “Chaos Agent.” Skillicorn initially had a Twitter, now X, traditional profile, e.g., “Allen Skillicorn Fountain Hills Council,” and “Allen Skillicorn for Fountain Hills.” But to gain notoriety and sidestep direct links to online speech with town activities and sworn duties, I suspect, his profile and posts have morphed into a more harsh and hostile tone.
Outside investigating counsel held indifference to Skillicorn’s social media postings that include invectives toward LGBTQ+, multiple postings of a nonresident Turning Point proxy at our council meeting delivering bigotry-laced propaganda, and Skillicorn encouraging “more people need to attend the 3/5 meeting.” Did Skillicorn invite the Turning Point speaker? Perhaps Councilperson Toth, who is affiliated with Turning Point Action?
When Councilmember Friedel should have respected residents who brought legitimate complaints against Skillicorn for his incendiary, defamatory words and actions, Friedel showed his lack of character, compassion and judgment by calling out an already-bullied resident and LGBTQ+ community member.
What is proper punishment for multiple ethics violations? Censure and formal apologies to those affected are reasonable and justified.