City Related
Local Government Political Activity and Misuse of Office
Robert Wechsler
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.
A Court Decision That Focuses on the Reasons Behind Conflict of Interest Rules
Robert Wechsler
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.
A Miscellany
Robert Wechsler
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).
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).
A Paean to a Local Ethics Commission
Robert Wechsler
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."
The Effect of NYC's Conflicts of Interest Board on the Ethics Programs in New York State's Larger Cities
Robert Wechsler
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
Buffalo
Recusal Involves Participation in Any Forum
Robert Wechsler
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.
NJ Municipal Pay-to-Play Ordinances and a State Contribution Database
Robert Wechsler
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.
Compliance and Conflicts in Tallahassee: The Organization Interest vs. The Public Interest
Robert Wechsler
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.
Chicago Compliance and Integrity Survey
Robert Wechsler
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.
It's Not the Law, It's the Ethics
Robert Wechsler
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
Poor Judgment All Around