City EthicsBreaking the oxymoron: "City Ethics"
An EC's Immune System
Update: December 10, 2010 (see below)
Conflicts of Interest
February 1, 2010
Conflicting City-County Positions Where One Is Not Technically a Government Position
Update: February 5, 2010 (see below)
Here's an interesting dual position question, that is, a question involving one individual holding two government positions. The most important conflict involved in dual positions is that you cannot consistently fulfill your fiduciary obligations to one constituency while fulfilling your obligations to the other. See my blog post on state-local dual positions for a discussion of more possible dual-position conflicts.
Here's an interesting dual position question, that is, a question involving one individual holding two government positions. The most important conflict involved in dual positions is that you cannot consistently fulfill your fiduciary obligations to one constituency while fulfilling your obligations to the other. See my blog post on state-local dual positions for a discussion of more possible dual-position conflicts.
Ethics Codes & Reform
January 30, 2010
Best Practice #1
Cities across the United States are creating and expanding Ethics Commissions, Ethics Offices and Inspector Generals in order to fight corruption and establish higher ethical standards for their governments.
I will be posting some of the best ideas from these programs on this site.
If you have comments on what is written, good, bad or just a stray idea, please comment!
Carla Miller, president, City Ethics.
Local Government Practice
January 27, 2010
It's Easy As ABC to Create Poor Ethics Environments
Update: February 3, 2010 (see below)
A NC Local Government Blog post yesterday made me aware that there have recently been some very public conflict of interest issues involving North Carolina's alcoholic beverage control (ABC) system, the state liquor sales program, which allows each city and county to have a local alcoholic beverage control board and employees (163 boards in all).
A NC Local Government Blog post yesterday made me aware that there have recently been some very public conflict of interest issues involving North Carolina's alcoholic beverage control (ABC) system, the state liquor sales program, which allows each city and county to have a local alcoholic beverage control board and employees (163 boards in all).
Conflicts of Interest
January 26, 2010
Government Employees and the Class Exception to Conflicts of Interest
Yesterday, the California Supreme Court published its
decision relating to the conflict of interest charges against five
members of San Diego's pension board, which I discussed a couple months
ago in a
blog post.
Transparency & Disclosure
January 26, 2010
Use of Private E-Mail Accounts for Public Business
I continue to be thankful for Sarah Palin's incredible ability to get
pedestrian government ethics issues into the public eye. This time it's
the use of private e-mails for public business, according to an
article in yesterday's New York Times.
There are lots of new rules about using government computers for personal purposes, a new spin on the common misuse of public property provision (most often violated by the use of government vehicles and equipment).
There are lots of new rules about using government computers for personal purposes, a new spin on the common misuse of public property provision (most often violated by the use of government vehicles and equipment).
Ethics Codes & Reform
January 25, 2010
Officials' Personal Opinions and the Separation of Aspirational and Enforceable Ethics Provisions
Many local government ethics codes have a provision that, when officials publicly give personal opinions rather than the government's position, requires them to clearly state
that they are not representing the local government.
Here's the one from the
ethics code in Santa Clarita (CA) where, according to an article
yesterday in the Santa Clarita Valley Signal, the provision has
become an issue.
Conflicts of Interest
January 24, 2010
Officials Requesting Police Investigations of Political Opponents: A Serious Misuse of Office
Which is the more troubling misuse of office? A local government
official having a citizen arrested for criticizing him, or a local
government official using tax dollars to pay off a citizen so that it
doesn't come out that the politician has influence over whom the police
arrest?
This choice of evils comes from a Jim Dwyer column in today's New York Times. The article contains two similar stories, one complete, the other still in process.
This choice of evils comes from a Jim Dwyer column in today's New York Times. The article contains two similar stories, one complete, the other still in process.
Campaign Finance & Pay-to-Play
January 23, 2010
Citizens United and Conflicts of Interest Law
The Citizens
United
decision from the Supreme Court this week says that, for the
purpose of First Amendment free speech rights in a political context,
corporations are persons. Until now, they were considered fictional
persons, since they lack such things as arms, brains, and the right to
vote.
Will the majority's conclusions affect conflicts of interest law? Here's a conclusion from page 40, ending the decision's first section.
Will the majority's conclusions affect conflicts of interest law? Here's a conclusion from page 40, ending the decision's first section.
January 22, 2010
Welcome to the City Ethics website!
CITY ETHICS is a non-profit organization formed in 2000. Its purpose is to provide a centralized location for information and resources for all forms of local government ethics programs. City Ethics was started by attorney and former federal prosecutor Carla Miller and her husband, Don McClintock, who has a long career in the technology sector.
The idea for City Ethics was "hatched" at the 2000 national conference of COGEL, the Council on Governmental Ethics Laws.
(See: www.cogel.org)