UPDATE 10/10/23

Commissioner Tryon has posted this on his Facebook page.  We'll keep you updated as this story progresses.

Ethics Complaint at The City Commission Meeting of Tuesday October 3, 2023

Jasmine Taylor introduced an ethics complaint against City Commissioner, Rick Tryon.  In this complaint, Taylor lays out, pretty meticulously, that Commissioner Tryon is violating ethics by writing a blog for the publication E-City Beat.  E-City Beat is owned by Stray Moose Productions.  Stray Moose makes money selling ads on E-City Beat. Tryon has Stray Moose Productions listed on his Linked In account as an employer.

Does This Complaint Have Validity?

Yes, doing research, I think it does.  Of course, we'll have to see the results of the investigation.

In the complaint, Taylor lists several blogs written by Commissioner Tryon that could be seen as a violation of ethics. (The Ethical Standards Code can be found at the end of this article.)

E-City Beat, Commissioner Rick Tryon Blogs

Does he mention being employed by Stray Moose Productions on his Linked In account?

Yes, he says he worked for them since 1999.  They own E-City Beat who sells advertising based on the blogs published on their site.

I guess the final nail in the ethics coffin for Commissioner Tryon is that on his Facebook page, he shared a few stories from E-City Beat, where he writes blogs.  This isn't on his personal page, it is on his Rick Tryon For A Greater Great Falls page.  If it were on his personal Facebook page I wouldn't give a rip about it.  It's on his commissioner page.

Here's another share on his Rick Tryon For A Greater Great Falls page:

If there are 2, there are more.  

There Are Other Blogs On E-City Beat and Other Shares On the Commissioner's Page

Taylor explains that Commissioner Tryon was very vocal about a homeless person camp on E-City Beat, that as a commissioner, he had to vote on FOR the residents of Great Falls.

You can find these articles here, but you may have to dig.  The Commissioner has 6 pages of blogs on the E-City Beat site.

I wanted to share this because when serving a community in an elected position, it has to be done with the highest standards of ethics at all times. A person just plain needs to put the city, state or country they're serving above money per click.

I have to wonder what E-City Beat would have written about a Democrat that was writing about commission business on their blog to ultimately make money.

Just something to consider when casting your vote.

The Ethical Standards Code in Montana:

2.21.050 - Ethical standards. In addition to complying with the provisions of Mont. Code Ann. Title 2, Chapter 2, officers and employees of the City of Great Falls shall comply with the following provisions:

A. No officer or employee of the City of Great Falls shall have an interest in a business organization or engage in any business, transaction, or professional activity which is in substantial conflict with the proper discharge of his or her governmental duties; […]

C. No officer or employee shall act in his or her official capacity in any matter where he or she, a member of his or her immediate family, or any business organization in which he or she has an interest, has a direct or indirect financial or personal involvement that might reasonably be expected to: 1. impair his or her objectivity or independence or judgment, or 2. substantially conflict with the proper discharge of officer or employee's governmental duties;

D. No officer or employee shall undertake any private employment or service which might prejudice his or her independent judgment in the exercise of his or her official duties;