City Related | City Ethics

Conflicts of Interest August 5, 2014

Problems with Obtaining a Job with a Contractor for One's Agency

The Stamford (CT) Advocate's Angela Carella wrote an excellent column on Saturday about a post-employment (also known as revolving door) situation in Stamford. Entitled "In Ethical Questions, Appearances Matter," the column looks at the many problems with a school board member taking a job with a c…

Ethics Commissions & Administration July 31, 2014

CA Appellate Court Protects EC Legal Advice on the Basis of Privilege

The logic of a California appellate decision on Monday, in the case of St. Croix v. Superior Court (A140308, July 28, 2014) (attached; see below), doesn't seem right to me. It skips steps. St. Croix is the executive director of the San Francisco Ethics Commission, and this matter involves a public …

Local Government Practice July 29, 2014

What Is the Role of a Definition of "Lobbying"?

An interesting debate about lobbying and advisory groups can be found on the Austin Bulldog website. Late last week, the Bulldog published an article about an ethics complaint filed by the president of the Austin Neighborhoods Council (ANC) against an appointed member of the Land Development Code A…

July 24, 2014

Unacceptable Mischaracterization of an Ethics Settlement in D.C.

The District of Columbia's former chief administrative law judge settled with the D.C. Board of Ethics and Government Accountability (BEGA) this week (the settlement agreement is attached; see below). The misconduct she admitted to included her hiring of a business partner without going through the…

July 22, 2014

Oakland Council Proposes Ethics Reform Charter Amendment

According to an article in the San Francisco Chronicle last week, Oakland's council approved an amendment to the city charter, to go before voters in November, that would increase the authority of the city's ethics commission and provide it with the funds it needs to do its job. Congratulations to …

July 18, 2014

A Lobbying Firm Wears Two Hats in Its Relationship with NYC Council Speaker

A New York Daily News article yesterday describes an interesting conflict situation. At least one lobbying firm has worn two hats in its relationship with the speaker of the New York City council. One hat was that of a campaign and appointments consultant, the other was that of a contract lobbyist …

Local Government Practice July 16, 2014

The Problems with a Mayoral Booster Organization

Is it appropriate for a mayor — especially a mayor in a city with strict gift rules and a public campaign financing program that has strict campaign contribution limits — to work with an organization that lobbies the state on behalf of his policies and sponsors ads and materials that support his vi…

Ethics Commissions & Administration July 15, 2014

A New Local Ethics Program's First Matter Raises Some Important Issues

An excellent editorial yesterday by Dan Barton, editor of the Kingston (NY) Times, raises a few important issues relating to local government ethics proceedings. According to Barton, Kingston's new ethics board dismissed a complaint from a city alderman that the mayor had violated the ethics code b…

July 7, 2014

Garbage Ethics Reform in Chicago Sets an Example

Garbage is the principal regular point of contact between individuals and their local government. If people are happy with their garbage pickup, they are likely to be happy with their local government. For this reason, smart high-level local government officials make sure that garbage pickup is don…

Conflicts of Interest July 1, 2014

SEC Action re Fiduciary Duties Relating to Municipal Bonds

A recent action by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) against the city of Harvey, IL, a poor city of 30,000 just south of Chicago, deals with a different sort of fiduciary duty than the usual government ethics case. In a complaint dated June 24, 2014 (attached; see below), the SEC alleges…

Subscribe to City Related