San Marcos (TX)
Council candidate Toby Hooper, in his first public statement as a candidate, said some of the right things about ethics:
On the role of an ethics
commission (he's a member of the city's ethics review commission):
“I would like city leaders and
staff to be able to approach the commission about concerns before they
become a problem instead of only dealing with the result in a
complaint. For example, before a project or initiative is to begin,
staff could meet with the commission and the city attorney to make a
review for any conflicts of interest or potential ethics violations,
this shift could avoid angry citizen meetings and potential litigation.”
On the importance of government
transparency:
“When a citizenry believes that
they know what is happening in government they begin to trust
government, and when they believe they are being heard and realize they
have a measure of control they understand that they are the government.”
From
an article in
yesterday's San Marcos Mercury .
Robert Wechsler
Director of Research, City Ethics
203-230-2548
