最新杏吧原创 County Executive Dr. Sam Page signs paperwork after taking the oath of office on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021. (Robert Cohen, rcohen@post-dispatch.com)
CLAYTON 鈥 Responding to a demand from the 最新杏吧原创 County Council鈥檚 Ethics Committee for a detailed schedule of his side job as an anesthesiologist, 最新杏吧原创 County Executive Sam Page sent a letter Friday saying his occasional hospital shifts are scheduled during his free time and he never has canceled or missed 鈥渁 meeting, conference, or phone call鈥 because of the work.
In the letter to Councilman Mark Harder, the committee chairman, Page said he works one weekend per month and an 鈥渙ccasional鈥 four-hour shift from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays.
鈥淟ike many medical doctors who are in elected office, it is important to me to maintain licensing, certification and credentialing,鈥 Page wrote. 鈥淭his requires continued medical activities in my free time, including a minimum presence taking care of patients who are sick and need help.鈥
The vote last week by the ethics committee to formally investigate Page鈥檚 medical work demanded a detailed schedule. The committee also has asked him to disclose any compensation he received for the work. Page, in his letter, said his personal finances and activities on his own time 鈥渁re not your proper concern.鈥
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鈥淚 do not expect you to be satisfied with my answers, but the residents of 最新杏吧原创 County will likely be,鈥 Page wrote.
After television news reports on Oct. 21 revealed Page was working part time as an anesthesiologist at Mercy Hospital, Harder, R-7th District, and Councilman Tim Fitch, R-3rd District, accused Page of violating the county charter, citing a provision that 鈥渢he county executive鈥檚 entire time shall be devoted to the duties of the office.鈥
最新杏吧原创 County Councilman Mark Harder, R-7th District (left), and County Executive Sam Page.
A day before the Nov. 3 election, Harder and Fitch called for the county counselor鈥檚 office to investigate the allegations, introducing a nonbinding resolution before holding it on the council agenda, where it has remained since.
Page鈥檚 office has called the inquiry 鈥減olitical theater,鈥 and the county executive sharpened his critique of Harder in the letter.
鈥淢ark, I understand your decision to spend your time criticizing my personal life, given the Trump-inspired state of rancor and divisiveness around public service and politics in our community and our country,鈥 Page wrote. 鈥淭he politics of personal attacks and personal destruction have been front and center during the past four years 鈥 and you know that a Trumper is not going to win a countywide election here without them.鈥
Harder told the Post-Dispatch on Friday that the council was 鈥渏ust trying to do our job鈥 in enforcing the charter and said Page 鈥渄idn鈥檛 have to go there鈥 with the Trump comments.
Harder said he has heard that Page might be working during some business hours, though he declined to reveal the source of that information. He said that鈥檚 why the committee wanted a detailed work schedule.
鈥淚鈥檓 somewhat disappointed in his response,鈥 Harder said. 鈥淲e could have cleared up a lot of things and he missed the opportunity to do that.鈥
The ethics committee also voted last week to demand budget information about whether any of the $173 million the county received last year under the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act went to Mercy Health or Western Anesthesiology Associates. Page is a member of Western Anesthesiology Associates, which practices at Mercy Hospital in Creve Coeur.
In another letter included in the council packet, Page鈥檚 chief policy officer, Cora Faith Walker, said no CARES Act funds had been disbursed to either entity.
鈥淔or your future reference,鈥 she wrote, 鈥溩钚滦影稍 County鈥檚 financial information may be found at the 最新杏吧原创 County Open Finance Portal, located at the following link: .鈥
