Councilman signs off on AG probe's conclusions

Surprise City Councilman Joe Johnson has formally accepted the findings of an Arizona Attorney General's Office investigation that listed multiple violations of the Arizona Open Meeting Law by the Surprise City Council.

"While serving as a member of the City Council, I engaged in conduct contrary to the State of Arizona's Open Meeting Law," Johnson states in a letter submitted Wednesday to the attorney general.

Johnson said he agreed to sign the letter in order to put the controversy behind him and the city.

"I just felt like it's not going to do our city any good to sit there and continue to play this out in public," Johnson said.

The investigation concluded in June, and examined council actions in 2006 and 2007. Johnson is the only council holdover from the period that was under investigation.

As part of a series of remedial steps, the attorney general required Johnson to sign a notarized statement accepting the findings. At first, Johnson said he would fight the attorney general because he felt certain facts in the report were incorrect.

Fighting the attorney general's findings could have subjected Johnson to court costs and the loss of his seat. Johnson faces re-election in fall 2009.

According to the report, Johnson in 2007 discussed the contract of then-City Manager Jim Rumpeltes with a majority of council members outside of public view. Johnson confirmed this in his acceptance statement.

Johnson previously had qualms with how certain facts were described in the report, including an alleged dinner meeting with council members he said did not occur. He said he met with attorney general staff Wednesday and worked through any disagreements they had.

"We both had some issues we were concerned with, and what I signed addressed their concerns and it addressed mine," Johnson said. Former Councilmen Gary "Doc" Sullivan and Danny Arismendez also have been asked to sign acceptance statements. Both men have previously said they would not sign, however.

Johnson said the latest information he has heard is that his former colleagues still are not planning to sign.