An Ethics Reform Miscellany
It may be midsummer, but it's still a busy season for local government
ethics. Here's how a few local governments are dealing with ethics
reform.<br>
<br>
Palm Beach County commissioners agreed to create an inspector general
and ethics commission, according to <a href="http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2009/0…; target="”_blank”">an
article in the Palm Beach <i>Post</i></a>.</span>
The commission says it will ask voters in November 2010 whether they
want these entities to cover all officials in the county, including
school boards and municipal governments.<br>
<br>
The occasion for this decision is a <a href="http://alt.coxnewsweb.com/palmbeachpost/pdf/05272009grandjury.pdf" target="”_blank”">grand
jury's recommendation</a> of these ethics reforms. Three former county
commissioners are in prison for using their offices to enrich
themselves, leading <span>Time</span> to
call the county "the new capital of Florida corruption."<br>
<br>
However, according to the article and <a href="http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2009/06/02/…; target="”_blank”">a
<span>Post</span> editorial</a>, there is
talk about not being able to afford these ethics reforms, questions
about the entities' independence, about commissioners stalling, etc.<br>
<br>
Some charter commission candidates in Detroit are emphasizing the
need for ethics reforms, according to <a href="http://www.detnews.com/article/20090727/OPINION01/907270315/1008/Editor…; target="”_blank”">an
editorial in the Detroit <span>News</span></a>
this week. Reforms they're seeking include independence of the ethics
board from mayor and council, investigative powers, and the elimination
of the confidentiality of ethics reports. These are all important
ethics reforms.<br>
<br>
According to <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/news/southflorida/story/1160786.html" target="”_blank”">an
article in the Miami <span>Herald</span></a>
this week, it appears that a recommended ethics reform in Miami Beach
might be part of a personal feud. There aren't many worse reasons to
make changes to an ethics code.<br>
<br>
The proposed rule would prevent campaign consultants from lobbying the
city commission for two years after working on a campaign. It just so
happens that a former campaign consultant for two allied commissioners
has become a lobbyist, and he's had a falling out with the candidates
he consulted with.<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/beaches/story/1145453.html&q…; target="”_blank”">Another
<span>Herald </span>article</a> mentions
other proposed ethics reforms, including a provision barring anyone
whose firm receives compensation from a city vendor from serving on the
commission (said by one commissioner to be aimed at another
commissioner) and some transparency provisions.<br>
<br>
According to <a href="http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2009/07/28/yakima-city-council-agr…; target="”_blank”">an
article in the Yakima (WA) <i>Herald</i></a>,</span>
the Yakima council asked the Rules and Procedures Committee to draft an
ethics code. The occasion appears to have been an allegation by a
former council member that four council members violated
the state open-meetings law by arranging votes on a new budget policy
outside a public meeting. But there was some skepticism among members
about the need for such a code and about the creation of a new
bureaucracy (which is unlikely for a city the size of Yakima).<br>
<br>
Robert Wechsler<br>
Director of Research-Retired, City Ethics<br>
<br>
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