City Ethics
Breaking the oxymoron: "City Ethics"

Ethics Waivers by a Legislative Body

Anonymous
County Related

I am a proponent of ethics waivers. But only if they are provided by
an independent ethics commission. When they are provided by
high-level officials or their appointees, they appear to be
self-serving. Why self-serving? Because they create precedents that
will enable those who make the precedents to themselves get ethics
waivers.<br>
<br>
Westchester County, NY has an ethics waiver process that allows the
county legislative body to provide waivers. According to <a href="http://www.lohud.com/article/20131230/NEWS02/312300031/Westchester-s-et…; target="”_blank”">an
article in the <i>Journal News</i></a>, today an outgoing county
legislator was given a waiver, by a 9 to 1 vote, to be the lobbyist
for the Westchester Medical Center, which does business with the
county and has county-appointed individuals on its board of trustees. County legislators are required by law to wait a year before
taking such a position.<br>
<br>

According to the article, such waivers are "commonplace." This makes
a mockery of the law and of the waiver process. Such waivers should
only be given if there is a very compelling reason. The fact that
the legislator would be good for the job (which in fact did not
exist until he was hired) is not a compelling reason. The question
is not whether the individual would be good for the job, but whether
allowing a legislator to go through the revolving door is good for
the community.<br>
<br>
At least the waiver process does require a public hearing. This is a
good thing. But Westchester County should either hand its waiver
process over to its ethics board (which does not appear to be
active; this too should be changed) or get rid of the waiver
process.<br>
<br>
Just this month, the county's charter revision commission filed a
report calling for "a comprehensive review and revision" of the code
of ethics, based on NYC Conflicts of Interest Board director Mark
Davies' recommendations (attached; see below), which include a
recommendation to hand the waiver process over to the ethics board.<br>
<br>
Robert Wechsler<br>
Director of Research-Retired, City Ethics<br>
<br>
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