Kaysen: No Known Cases of Retribution

Cheyenne Mayor Rick Kaysen says he doesn't know of a single proven case where a city employee has used their position to settle a score.

The mayor said Thursday that over the years he has received several allegations of employee retribution against business owners or residents.  But he says when he looked into the allegations there has never been any evidence of it actually occurring.

The Cheyenne City Council on Monday rejected a proposed ethics code for city employees that would have, among other things, barred city employees from using their position for retribution. Even though the proposal was rejected, several city employees told the council that the proposed code was a "slap in the face".

Kaysen said Thursday that the ethics proposal along with a resolution that was approved to split the Planning and Development office into two separate organizations combined to "put a real damper" on employee morale.

The mayor says he has had several conversations with city employees who "feel devalued" and that their work isn't appreciated because of the council discussion.