Rochester, MN (KROC AM News) -  It was just over a year ago when Rochester Mayor Ardell Brede suspended the monthly dinner meetings he and the City Council had been holding for years.

His decision came after some Council members said they would not attend anymore. Now it looks like the meetings may not be resumed.

The mayor and City Council have received a letter from the State Auditor’s office indicating the meetings may be a violation of the Open Meeting Law. Most of the meetings were held in restaurants and were open to the public. But some citizens complained because many of the settings made it hard to hear the council’s discussions.

The letter also indicated the use of public money to cover the dinner tab may have been improper. Brede disagrees. He says the former practise of paying for the dinners from the mayor’s contingency account was changed. Instead, a mayoral promotion budget was established and he paid taxes for the income.

Brede says he had  been considering resuming the meetings but it’s unlikely now, saying “ there are bigger fish to fry. “  

The practise of holding the monthly meetings began under former Mayor Hazama.

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