by Ron Gregory
ronjgregory@gmail.com
CHARLESTON – Former Dunbar Mayor Roger Wolfe has filed suit against the city in Kanawha County circuit court. Wolfe filed the case, given number 17-C-1392, on Tuesday, he said.
Wolfe and the city have clashed for several years after city council initiated action that removed him from office. Wolfe has since been an unsuccessful candidate for mayor.
In his hand-written complaint, Wolfe points out that he was elected mayor of Dunbar in 2005 and took office on July 1 of that year. The ex-mayor asserts, “The Dunbar City Council made an agreement with me on December 5th of 2005. They made an agreement to pay my expenses and then when I began to turn them in, I was removed from office.”
Wolfe goes on to write, “The city council hired (Charleston attorney) Mark Sadd to represent them. Mark Sadd and these council members have been taking the citizens of Dunbar monies for 12 years and have taken millions from the citizens, I was removed from office because of their unethical and criminal conduct and I intend to prove this in court.”
He goes on, “the West Virginia Ethics Commission is nothing more than a political machine and are the most unethical group in state government. The Ethics Commission also committed unethical and criminal acts.”
Wolfe concludes, “I proved the city council of Dunbar to the West Virginia Ethics Commission had this meeting in December of 2005. I intend to prove the city council lied and I was removed from the office of mayor. Therefore I am seeking four years of my salary and my expenses for the office of mayor for being mayor from July 1, 2005 until October 30th, 2008. I still had eight months left in office for my four-year term. With interest.”
Mayor Bill Cunningham was not in his office Wednesday afternoon although a receptionist said she was not aware of the city being served with the suit. A message was left for Cunningham to return the inquiry.