Several knowledgeable people have suggested that the Villa Hills’ Code Enforcement Board (CEB) serve as the first resort for appeals of city citations. Being an insecure control fanatic, Mayor Martin has stubbornly resisted this common sense idea. He publicly stated that, “Nobody but me or the Chief can void a ticket (and the Chief better not do it)!”
The Martin Chronicles has obtained paperwork that clearly demonstrates why the decision to void a ticket should be made by the independent CEB and not Martin or perhaps even the Chief. Martin made the decision to void a ticket and unwittingly scuttled a two-month investigation into illegal businesses being run in Villa Hills.
Council had asked the police to investigate several complaints about people driving white, unmarked vans and pickup trucks and using vacant homes in the city to operate illegal electrical, plumbing and other homes services businesses. Among numerous problems, the homes aren’t zoned for business and the business operators are evading city, county and state taxes.
One of the illegal business operators had a company van ticketed for failure to comply with the city “sticker tax”. Shortly thereafter, the van received a second ticket for the same offense. The police would then have been able to tow the van and question the owner about his illegal business operations.
But Martin foolishly injected himself into the picture and sent two months of police work circling down the proverbial drain. The operator of the illegal business came to the city building and told the facile mayor that he “hasn’t moved into the house yet”. You don’t say? Is that a fact? How did Martin confirm this wild claim? Well, he didn’t. He simply voided the ticket and destroyed a lengthy investigation being carried out by the already spread-too-thin Villa Hills Police Department.
Perhaps council should renew their push for the Code Enforcement Board to serve as the arbiter of city citation appeals before Martin can lay waste to any more police investigations.
