The Independence of New Orleans' Ethics Program
Robert Wechsler
The New Orleans Ethics Review Board, formed in 2006, certainly wins an
A for independence. According to the city
ethics code, six of its seven members are chosen by the mayor (with
council approval) from nominees submitted by the heads of five local
private universities (the seventh is the mayor's to select).
Unfortunately, the result is that the majority of board members work
at the universities.
This independence is taken another step. According to the Inspector General ordinance, the IG is selected by the ethics review board. Within the IG's office is an independent police monitor. So the principal ethics and compliance personnel are in the same independent office.
And best of all, according to the board's 2008 report, in October 2008 "the citizens of New Orleans voted to amend the Home Rule Charter to ... establish a shared funding appropriation for the Ethics Review Board and the Office of Inspector General." More specifically, §9-401 of the Home Rule Charter provides:
According to an article in this week's New Orleans Times-Picayune, a new inspector general, Edouard Quatrevaux, was selected by the board. It will be interesting to see what the ethics review board and inspector general do with their unusual yet valuable independence and protected budget.
Robert Wechsler
Director of Research-Retired, City Ethics
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This independence is taken another step. According to the Inspector General ordinance, the IG is selected by the ethics review board. Within the IG's office is an independent police monitor. So the principal ethics and compliance personnel are in the same independent office.
And best of all, according to the board's 2008 report, in October 2008 "the citizens of New Orleans voted to amend the Home Rule Charter to ... establish a shared funding appropriation for the Ethics Review Board and the Office of Inspector General." More specifically, §9-401 of the Home Rule Charter provides:
- The OIG, in conjunction with the
Ethics Review Board, shall receive an annual appropriation from the
Council in an amount not less than .75% (three-quarters of one percent)
of the General Fund operating budget, adopted pursuant to Section
3-115(2), which individual appropriation may not be vetoed by the
Mayor, .... The Council may by ordinance, adopted by unanimous vote of
a quorum, provide for deviation from this percentage in cases of
natural disaster or other extreme circumstances. Of the budget
percentage specified in this paragraph, an amount shall be allocated
for the operation of the Ethics Review Board adequate to implement its
functions efficiently and effectively.
According to an article in this week's New Orleans Times-Picayune, a new inspector general, Edouard Quatrevaux, was selected by the board. It will be interesting to see what the ethics review board and inspector general do with their unusual yet valuable independence and protected budget.
Robert Wechsler
Director of Research-Retired, City Ethics
---