City Related | City Ethics

Conflicts of Interest January 10, 2010

Local Government Political Activity and Misuse of Office

Political activity by local government employees can be a sign of misuse of office. And when election problems arise, they generally involve local government employees, as has happened in Essex County (NJ; home of Newark), according to an article in Friday's Star-Ledger.

Conflicts of Interest January 9, 2010

A Court Decision That Focuses on the Reasons Behind Conflict of Interest Rules

Two months ago, I pointed out Patricia Salkin's new summary of 2009 reported cases dealing with ethical aspects of local government land use matters. I'm finally getting around to analyzing one of them that provides a fascinating perspective on why conflicts of interest are important.

January 8, 2010

A Miscellany

Baltimore Mayor Resigns
Baltimore's mayor resigned on Wednesday, fortunately after being convicted of the crime of embezzlement (albeit for $500 in gift cards) rather than the ethics violation (not yet tried) of failing to include gifts on her financial disclosure statement (see Baltimore Sun article).

Ethics Commissions & Administration January 7, 2010

A Paean to a Local Ethics Commission

It's worth a look at Philadelphia columnist Dave Davies' last column after twenty-five years on the job. It's something rarely seen in the local government ethics world: a hymn of praise to a local ethics commission, which he calls "a watchdog that isn't afraid to bite."

Ethics Commissions & Administration January 6, 2010

The Effect of NYC's Conflicts of Interest Board on the Ethics Programs in New York State's Larger Cities

New York City's Conflicts of Interest Board is one of the premier ethics commissions in the U.S. One would assume that its rules and procedures would provide an example, as well as guidance, for the rest of the state. So I would like to look at ethics programs in the other largest (although not large) cities in the state, in order by population.

Buffalo

Conflicts of Interest January 4, 2010

Recusal Involves Participation in Any Forum

One of the most common mistakes government officials make is to see recusal as involving only a decision whether or not to vote on a matter where they have a possible conflict of interest. A Phoenix council member and a city attorney appear to have made this mistake.

Campaign Finance & Pay-to-Play January 3, 2010

NJ Municipal Pay-to-Play Ordinances and a State Contribution Database

Who expects a wonderful local government ethics surprise to come from New Jersey? Check out the Department of State's Pay-to-Play Ordinances page, which provides links, county by county, of municipal ordinances placing a limited contribution ban on those entering into municipal contracts.

Conflicts of Interest January 2, 2010

Compliance and Conflicts in Tallahassee: The Organization Interest vs. The Public Interest

Tallahassee takes a compliance approach to ethics. Its ethics code is aspirational, based on core values. Its ethics training employs a Character First approach. Conflicts of interest are only a small portion of a program that ranges from personnel and transparency issues to harassment, discrimination, and fraud.

December 31, 2009

Chicago Compliance and Integrity Survey

Update: January 4, 2010 (see below)

On December 15, Chicago published a Compliance and Integrity Survey that its Office of Compliance commissioned from the Ethics Resource Center, a primarily corporate ethics and compliance research organization.

Ethics Codes & Reform December 30, 2009

It's Not the Law, It's the Ethics

In three cities this week, top officials showed the ability to get away with unethical behavior, but not the ability to distinguish law from ethics.

Poor Judgment All Around

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