Sometimes being caught with a hand in the cookie jar isn’t enough to force a person into accountability. Such seems to be the case with Wasilla Mayor Dianne M. Keller.

While a 52-page report generated from an independent investigation says Keller and city employees apparently worked against some longstanding local businesses for the benefit of a developer — including potentially criminal behavior — the mayor says she believes the Denali Law Group’s findings vindicate her actions. The report, released this past week, blasts the mayor for trying to use her office and the city’s power to intimidate property owners and says that, in seven of eight specific questions posed by Wasilla City Council, city employees and/or the mayor acted inappropriately, against city policy and for the benefit of a developer.

Keller would have the good people of Wasilla believe that Denali Law Group’s opinion that she was within the ethical bounds of her office to allow Meritage Development Group to pick up a dinner tab during a May 2007 trip to Las Vegas means she’s squeaky clean. Not so.

Denali Law found that Keller and city staff worked behind the scenes and outside the public’s watchful eye to further the interests of Meritage, which proposes to develop two parcels of land along the Parks Highway into the Creekside Town Square and retail park.

Keller and her administration have been under the city council’s microscope for some time now, which is why Steve Menard, a Wasilla city councilman and mayoral candidate, first proposed an independent investigation of the Meritage situation. Supported by the rest of the council, those concerns seem to be well placed.

Now the council has some tough decisions to make; namely, what to do with the information from the Denali Law Group’s probe.

Councilwoman Dianne Woodruff has already openly urged the mayor to resign. Menard hasn’t gone that far yet, but chided the mayor, saying Keller “should be absolutely ashamed and embarrassed.” And Councilman Marty Metiva, who also is a candidate for mayor in the fall, says Keller shouldn’t be asked to resign, but the council needs to discuss its other options.

Because the mayor is an elected official, Wasilla City Council doesn’t have the power to remove her from office or arbitrarily terminate city employees. However, it can request Keller resign, or take a vote of no confidence or other action officially condemning her behavior and that of her administration.

Keller should resign on her own. If she’s reluctant to vacate the office she’s abused and shamed, council should formally ask for her resignation. If Keller declines, council should draft the strongest condemnation possible and keep a watchful eye during the final months of her term.

In the end, Keller lacks credibility, sincerity and accountability. None of these traits engender trust and confidence in a city’s leader.

Keller has consistently maintained the city was acting to correct a dire safety issue with Sun Mountain Avenue where it intersects with Hermon Road — that the common good outweighed the interests of the small businesses threatened in the Aug. 24, 2007, letter. But like the boy who cried “wolf” one too many times, Keller is the mayor who cries “safety.”

Neither road was Wasilla city property while the city worked with Meritage to push its development. Sun Mountain Avenue is owned by the state and Hermon Road by the Mat-Su Borough. If there is a safety issue so imminent as to threaten to take private property through eminent domain, why didn’t the state or Borough take that action?

That Keller believes she has done no wrong and has tried to explain away her actions as looking out for the safety of Valley residents smacks of former President Bill Clinton debating the definition of “is.”

Mayor Keller, step down now.