The embers had nearly died out in Mandeville.

The newest kindling added to the fire are allegations Mayor Eddie Price may be in violation of ethics laws by renting a suburban owned by Don McMath, a big-time developer associated with the city.

It all began earlier this year when news quickly spread concerning the Mandeville Police Department and some unscrupulous dealings with their charitable organization, the Citizen Service Fund. Police Chief Tom Buell revealed to media sources the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s office had begun an investigation into the police department after it discovered Buell took money from the charity over the course of several years to help purchase Christmas gifts for Price.

In total, Price had accepted $2,300 in gifts paid for by the fund, including a $780 bow and arrow and gun case.

Once Price found out the gifts were purchased using donated money, he quickly paid back the $2,300, but that was only the beginning of what turned into an in-depth investigation of both the police department and the inner workings of the city.

In the meantime, Mandeville fell under more scrutiny when Price was stopped on the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway for driving while apparently intoxicated.

Causeway cameras first caught Price smashing through one of the tollbooth barriers before Causeway Police pulled him over for driving without headlights. The ordeal was captured on a dashboard camera.

Price was not subjected to a field sobriety test nor issued a citation. He was allowed to leave the scene when a family member gave him a ride home.

In the end, officers resigned after giving preferential treatment to Price and Causeway Police Chief Felix Loicano also resigned, ending his 35-year tenure in law enforcement. Price was later cited for the incident and fined for the damage to the tollgate.

Not long after the Causeway incident unfolded, another troubling episode surfaced involving Price.

Chief Buell reported that two of his officers came forward about an occurrence in 2006 when the mayor was first stopped after nearly crashing into a police cruiser driving on Monroe Street. Price was allegedly drinking and driving his city-owned vehicle, but again, he was not issued a citation nor a field sobriety test.

The officers chose to drive Price back to City Hall, but not long after, they received a call from a gas station attendant after he spotted Price seemingly intoxicated. By the time police arrived, Price was gone.

Price later admitted to drinking that night and decided to relinquish the keys to his city-issued vehicle and enroll in a 12-week counseling program.

About a month later, the scathing 30-page audit conducted by the Legislative Auditor was released after a 10-month investigation into Mandeville and its police department. The audit reported that Price, Buell and other officials took part in activities that my have violated state laws.

Some of the activities include the misuse of city-issued credit cards, the misuse of city-issued vehicles and Fuelman cards and the acceptance of improper gifts.

That brings us to today.

According to state law, “no public servant shall solicit or accept, directly or indirectly, anything of economic value as a gift or gratuity from any person or employee of any person who has or is seeking to obtain contractual or other business or financial relationships with the public servant’s agency.”

The audit reports McMath flew Price on his private plane to several lavish locations, including Pebble Beach, Calif., but according to McMath and Price, the trips were given as gestures of friendship.

But “city records indicate that since 2004, the city has annexed several of Mr. McMath’s properties into the corporate limits,” according to the report.

Since Price handed over the keys to his city vehicle, he has been renting a suburban registered in McMath’s name for $200 per month.

Rafael Goyeneche with the Metropolitan Crime Commission insists Price is violating ethics laws.

“He cannot be accepting anything of value from anyone who does business with the city,” Goyeneche said.

But Price maintains McMath has never been contracted by the city, even though the city annexed some land he owned.

“The only benefit with annexing land is water and sewerage,” Price said. “It’s very clear there is no ethics violation. If you are a vendor with the city of Mandeville, then certainly that would be a violation of ethics. It was made pretty clear that you have to be a vendor.”

Goyeneche has since written a letter to the Louisiana Board of Ethics, with a carbon copy sent to the Louisiana Legislative Auditor and the Louisiana Attorney General, requesting the ethics board “conduct an investigation into potential ethical violations resulting from Mandeville Mayor Edward Price’s use of an automobile owned by local real estate developer Don McMath,” according to his letter.

Goyeneche has not received a response from the board yet. Criminal investigations on federal and state levels are currently ongoing into the findings of the audit.