County Related | City Ethics

November 13, 2015

Countywide Lobbying Oversight

In some counties, when a company seeks small-business or women- or minority-owned business designation for a county contract, this designation also applies to the municipalities within the county. Why can't the same sort of thing apply to lobbying? Tampa council member Lisa Montelione has asked this question, according to a September Tampa Bay Times article.

December 2, 2014

Poor Handling of a Conflict of Interest in Ferguson, MO

Partial withdrawal from participation is not a sufficient cure for an apparent conflict of interest. When there is any involvement, it can be seen as providing preferential treatment, as being unfair. Once again this is made clear, in the most controversial local government problem of the year: a white police officer's killing of a black man in Ferguson, MO.

Ethics Commissions & Administration November 12, 2014

A Debate About the EC Selection Process

According to an article yesterday in the Rockdale Citizen, Rockdale County, GA's county commission is having a debate on how to select its three-member ethics board and its alternates. Unfortunately, it's a debate that is being waged with no reference to best practices and almost no outside professional input.

October 15, 2014

Misleading Orange County (CA) Ethics Initiative

According to an editorial in the Orange County (CA) Register this week, Orange County citizens will soon vote on an initiative that would make their county the second one to turn its campaign finance program over to the state's Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC).

Campaign Finance & Pay-to-Play October 11, 2014

How to Identify and Prevent Pay to Play

An article today in the New York Times describes a situation that sheds light on pay to play. It involves the Westchester County (NY) county executive, who is getting special scrutiny because he is running for governor and has, throughout his career, as well as in this election, been openly critical of pay to play. He is being accused of hypocrisy, but it may just be that he does not really understand what pay to play is, why it is problematic, or how to prevent it.

September 16, 2014

Orange County CA Supervisors Again Ignore Grand Jury Recommendations

According to an article Sunday on the Voice of OC website, the Orange County, CA legislative body has drafted a response to the second grand jury report in a year, which recommended the creation of a county ethics program "to monitor and enforce c

September 12, 2014

A Bullying Head of a Local Fiefdom

In an article in the New York Times this Monday, the Robeson County (NC) district attorney described his predecessor's bullying ways, which are typical of those of an individual who heads a local fiefdom:

“He is a bully, and that’s the way he ran this office. People were afraid of him. Lawyers were afraid of him.

July 28, 2014

A Complex Procurement Conspiracy in Dallas County

When city and county contractors and their lobbyists don't follow the rules, it's difficult to catch them, because few cities have an oversight office that investigates on its own initiative. Without such a program, communities depend on federal and state criminal enforcers who focus on bribery and kickbacks.

Campaign Finance & Pay-to-Play May 16, 2014

Indirect Campaign Contributions Allow Fraudulent Speech

It's questionable whether a contractor, developer, grantee, or other individual or entity that seeks special benefits from a local government should be permitted to make sizeable campaign contributions to candidates for positions in the local government. But if they are not permitted to make such contributions directly, they should not be permitted to make them indirectly, either.

May 13, 2014

A Proposed Procurement Review Task Force in Miami-Dade

The mayor of Miami-Dade County has announced the formation of a Procurement Review Task Force to, according to his May 6 memo (attached; see below), "improve and simplify our procurement process."

The principal goals of the task force are:

To ensure that all procurements continue to be conducted with the maximum level of transparency, fairness and integrity."

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