The new year is a good time for ethics commissions and officers to look ahead to 2009 and set goals and priorities. According to an article in today's Jacksonville Daily Record, this is exactly what the Jacksonville (FL) ethics commission did at its first meeting of the new year. As did the city's ethics officer, City Ethics' very own Carla Miller.

The commission's principal goals for the year were (1) try to become an independent agency (this after a difficult budget session last year), (2) study the procurement process, especially sole source bid awards, where a lot of problems can occur (there's nothing better than learning about how the city administration functions, so that the commission can both better understanding inquiries and complaints, and also bring its own complaints or otherwise act proactively where it sees problems); and (3) consider revisions to the ethics code.

Carla's principal goal is to make her position more clear. Right now, she is answerable to the mayor's office, the council, and the ethics commission. It is a serious problem reporting to three very different, conflicting bodies.

Robert Wechsler
Director of Research-Retired, City Ethics

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