FERGUSON, Mo. – Debates about background checks swarmed after a newly appointed volunteer traffic commissioner was discovered to be on misdemeanor probation for leaving the scene of an accident.

“They didn’t know about it until I brought it up,” Becca Bryan, a citizen, said. “They were like are you serious?”

Councilman Nick Kasoff said it doesn’t matter anyway because the city only screens volunteers to see if they’ve paid their taxes.

“We have somebody serving on one of these boards right now who has an active warrant through the city of Ferguson and if we’re going to start ramping up these requirements, we’re going to have to start tossing people for this sort of thing,” Kasoff said. “I don’t support that.”

The board member he’s referring to told me the warrant is a clerical error and was resolved Friday. 

Kasoff also mentioned another past volunteer board member, “…who actually pleaded guilty to arson, burning down one of his own businesses and he was allowed to be on the board,” Kasoff said, adding, “The idea that we’re going to dig up dirt on somebody who wants to volunteer for the advisory board to me is elitist and offensive.”

Ferguson’s Mayor, however, thinks the city needs a stronger screening system.

“We love transparency and accountability but sometimes things slip through the cracks, and I think that’s what’s happening now,” Mayor Ella Jones said.

The mayor says it’s not about excluding anyone for a past mistake, but rather a way of making sure the city knows ahead of time everything they can about a candidate.

“By no means is Ferguson in the business of trying to penalize someone who has already been through the justice system; however, everyone on the council should be aware of who that person is recommending to serve,” Jones said.

Good government, she believes, will mean elected leaders informing the public with all the facts, rather than being surprised by something a citizen digs up.