The Woodlands Monitor (The Woodlands, TX) - In July and August, Town Center Improvement District (TCID) board members, Kemba DeGroot (Secretary), Vicki Richmond, Edmund Robb and Alex Sutton each signed a Texas Ethics Commission (TEC) Assurance of Voluntary Compliance document. In addition to signing and agreeing to the terms of the documents, one board member, Edmund Robb also agreed to pay a $100.00 civil fine. Additionally, in September, another TCID board member, Les Tarrance, signed an Agreed Order and Resolution in which he payed a $300.00 civil fine.
Those individuals who signed the compliance documents all failed to properly fill out at least one recent campaign finance report. Mr. Robb also failed to file at least one required semiannual campaign finance report.
Mr. Tarrance's TEC document states there was credible evidence that he failed to file semiannual campaign reports, failed to include proper information on at least one campaign finance report and had missing pages in some campaign finance reports along with other issues.
By signing these documents of compliance each individual agrees to, "
fully and strictly comply with these requirements of the law, and to cease and desist any activity, which violates these requirements of law."
Penalties handed out by the TEC for violations are civil in nature and can vary widely.
The TEC was created in 1991 by an amendment to the Texas Constitution. Some of the TEC responsibilities include administering and enforcing the following:
Title 15 of the Election Code including political campaigns and contributions.
Chapter 305 of the Government Code including lobbyist reports and activities.
Chapter 572 of the Government Code including personal financial disclosure and conduct of state officers and employees.
Related Information TEC Assurance of Voluntary Compliance - Degroot TEC Assurance of Voluntary Compliance - Richmond TEC Assurance of Voluntary Compliance - Robb TEC Assurance of Voluntary Compliance - Sutton TEC Order of Agreed Resolution - Terrance TEC Sends TCID Leaders Notices of Complaint Town Center Improvement District Board Members Blairs Sign Ethics Commission Order 
