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Ethics Oversight of Consultants
... often act just like government officials, only they're not on the payroll. And yet the ethics rules that apply to government officials ... this would seem to be a good way of giving contractors guidance on the many issues they face when working for a city. But here's the ...
Robert Wechsler - 2018-12-19 17:18 - 0 comments
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Book Excerpt 2: A Checklist of Ethics Commission Activities
... or of their passivity when officials fail to fill positions on the commission). They do not schedule meetings, or hold ones that have ... doesn’t mean that an ethics commission cannot provide guidance on ethics matters. General advisory opinions, sometimes called ...
Robert Wechsler - 2018-12-19 17:18 - 0 comments
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Personal Conflicts and Technicalities
... body) of the town of Sturbridge (MA) was faced with a vote on the reappointment of a conservation commission member who happens to be the ... which will, in any event, be removed if the budget is passed on June 8. The selectman says he talked to the state ethics commission (which ... there would have been no dispute, and clearer guidance, in this situation. Robert Wechsler Director of ...
Robert Wechsler - 2018-12-19 17:18 - 0 comments
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How Massachusetts Handles Favors and Favoritism
... a couple prepare an application seeking a lower assessment on their house. The couple included a letter with their application saying that ... of §23(b)(2)(ii). There is no vagueness problem in the guidance the provision provides, and it is relatively easy to enforce, which is ...
Robert Wechsler - 2018-12-19 17:18 - 0 comments
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Dealing Responsibly with Business Relationships
... the council member could be seen as financially depending on the contractor's rent, there would certainly be an appearance of ... and complex at the same time, it provides inadequate guidance and places into question the fairness of the ethics law. This is a bad ...
Robert Wechsler - 2018-12-19 17:18 - 0 comments
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Professional Confidentiality and the Disclosure of Conflicts
Body: John Hazlehurst's observation on the Colorado Springs ethics commission's dismissal of a complaint against ... blog post, rather than a mere update to my original post on this topic. An important issue involved the mayor's insistence that, as ... for which ethics codes do not generally provide guidance. It should be included in ethics training, and emphasized where ...
Robert Wechsler - 2018-12-19 17:18 - 0 comments
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The Fiduciary Duty of Government Consultants
... of the Retirement Systems, and therefore, it does not vote on matters of governance for the Funds and does not make decisions of any kind ... The actuarial community needs to provide written guidance to actuarial consultants on how to fulfill their obligations ...
Robert Wechsler - 2018-12-19 17:18 - 0 comments
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Citizens and the Advisory Opinion Process
... and comments in the City Ethics Model Code Project. On the one hand, advisory opinions are generally seen as dealing with the ... formal advisory opinion process. It is valuable to provide guidance for requesting officials and everyone else. But it is slow, and events ...
Robert Wechsler - 2018-12-19 17:18 - 0 comments
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Misuse of Consent Agendas
... ethics provisions without a discussion (see my blog post on this )). A consent agenda is a way to deal, in a single motion and a ... them (it uses the term "consent calendar"), providing little guidance. If they are to be used, there should be clear restrictions, such as ...
Robert Wechsler - 2018-12-19 17:18 - 0 comments
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Seattle's Newly Expanded Whistleblower Protection Code
... employee's cooperation in an inquiry or investigation based on a report of improper governmental action; or 2. interfering or ... is either considered impossible or improper, or there is no guidance regarding how to proceed. It is better to work out a dispute regarding ...
Robert Wechsler - 2018-12-19 17:18 - 0 comments
