Ethics complaint against Katers is dismissed The 34-page complaint was "all politics," the town chairman says By Kevin Moore News-Chronicle The Bellevue Ethics Boards has dropped all six complaints against Town Chairman Dan Katers. The hearing lasted until 12:45 Tuesday morning. "I'm very happy," Katers said, "very happy with the insight of the committee. The complaint was political from the get-go." Bellevue resident Nola Leuthner had filed a 34-page document with six complaints, dealing with with Katers' absences at Town Board meetings, open meeting law, and conflict of interest. The Ethics Board decided not to refer any of the complaints to the Town Board. It initially ruled that Katers made a technical violation when he voted to extend infrastructure to a subdivision where his wife, Karen, is a shareholder. The board decided that the Kater's vote was an oversight, since he had abstained from as many as eight votes regarding the subdivision in the past. Katers said the complaint was politically motivated. "Nola (Leuthner) and her cohorts knew they couldn't kill me and my message of progress, so they tried to kill the messenger - me," he said. "I think the committee realized that. "One of the things I've said is, if people have a problem they can call me, go to the Town Board meetings or run for office. This was pretty petty stuff. This was an attempt to make me ineffective and ruin my reputation." Telephone calls to Leuthner and her attorney, Terry Gerbers, were not immediately returned. Katers said he "fleetingly" thought of taking legal action regarding the ethics complaint, "but not seriously," he said. "I would just as soon walk away." He did not seek re-election after four years as town chairman. He had been a town supervisor five years previous to that. "All through the whole process there was an implication that the problems of the Town Board were all my fault," Katers said. "Everyone on the Ethics Board said this was the problem of the whole board. I've been the voice of progress. I always wanted to move forward. I always said everybody would never agree with me all the time, but I would lead the town forward." Katers was a proponent of incorporating as a village and adding independent police protection to the town. "I made mistakes," he said. "But you only make mistakes if you're doing something. If anybody thinks they don't make mistakes, they aren't doing anything. I'm not perfect, but at least I did something, unlike my detractors, who have never run for office." As for his future plans: "I'm just going to retire to private life, and disappear," Katers said.