Everyday Ethics for Local Officials

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Everyday Ethics for Local Officials

Article Everyday Ethics for Local Officials

Making a List and Checking It Twice: Preparing for the Season of Giving

This column is a service of the Institute for Local Government (ILG) Ethics Project, which offers resources for local officials on public service ethics. For more information, visit www.ca-ilg.org/trust. ILG is grateful to the cities of Los Gatos, West Hollywood and Petaluma for contributing materials to this column. Generous funding for the development of this column is provided by the ICMA Retirement Corporation (www.icmarc.org), whose mission is to build retirement security for the public sector.

QUESTION

The holidays are coming up, and this year our agency wants to do a better job of handling issue of gifts from outside sources. It has generally had a no-gifts policy, but we haven’t actively enforced it, and there is a kind of unwritten exception for gifts of nominal value (for example, plates of homemade cookies from residents or logo items from vendors). What are your thoughts, and what do other agencies do?

Article Everyday Ethics for Local Officials

Badges for Officeholders and Prominent Members of the Community: A Bad Idea

This column is a service of the Institute for Local Government (ILG) Ethics Project, which offers resources for local officials on public service ethics. For more information, visit www.ca-ilg.org/trust. ILG is grateful for the input of Martin J. Mayer, attorney, Jones & Mayer law firm, on this article.

QUESTION

I’m a newly appointed police chief, and I’m getting requests for law enforcement-type badges from our newly elected officials, which I find perplexing.

Article Everyday Ethics for Local Officials

How Your Agency Counsel Should Advise You When Agency Contracts Represent a Conflict of Interest

QUESTION

We are upset with our new agency counsel. She has advised us to stop purchasing vehicles through our local car dealership, which is owned by one of our elected officials. We are in a remote area, and this dealership is the only one within 20 miles (which is important for servicing vehicles under warranty, for example). Before the dealership opened four years ago, our staff spent a great deal of time traveling to the dealer in the next community to purchase and service cars. And because the dealer is public minded, the agency usually gets a good discount on products and services.

Article Everyday Ethics for Local Officials

Freebies: Friend or Foe?

QUESTION

Our agency recently was criticized in the press because our elected officials receive season tickets to our local sports venue, which our agency owns but is operated by a private contractor. No laws have been broken because the operator of the facility provides these passes to the agency. Our attorney has advised us this means that the passes do not need to be reported under the gift rules and are not subject to the gift limits. This explanation did not satisfy the press.

Article Everyday Ethics for Local Officials

Let’s Not Make a Deal: Vote-Trading and Similar Practices Raise Legal and Ethical Issues

This column is a service of the Institute for Local Government (ILG) Ethics Project, which offers resources for local officials on public service ethics. For more information, visit www.ca-ilg.org/trust.

QUESTION

I am a newly elected official. When I ran for office, I pledged to support a certain policy I’ll call “X.” After working with staff at our agency, a resolution to do X is now pending before our governing body.

Article Everyday Ethics for Local Officials

Making a Federal Case Out of Corruption

QUESTION

I have been closely following the prosecution of a local colleague who is facing corruption charges. It would be an interesting story if it weren’t so sad. This guy is quite bright and prided himself on knowing exactly where the boundaries are in terms of the Political Reform Act and other such laws. But now he finds himself in federal court, charged with crimes that include something called “honest services fraud,” extortion and income tax evasion. He’s had to hire an expensive lawyer experienced in federal court practice to defend himself against these charges.

Article Everyday Ethics for Local Officials

When an Elected Official Feels Passionately About An Issue: Fair Process Requirements in Adjudicative Decision-Making

When an Elected Official Feels Passionately About An Issue: Fair Process Requirements in Adjudicative Decision-Making

QUESTION

I am extremely upset. When I ran for office, one of my campaign promises was to do whatever I could to get adult entertainment establishments shut down in our area.

Article Everyday Ethics for Local Officials

Promoting a Culture of Ethics at City Hall

QUESTION

Our city recently experienced an embarrassing scandal when one of our department heads circumvented our contracting procedures to steer a contract to a friend. To make matters worse, there were cost overruns and the product that was ultimately delivered didn’t fully meet the city’s needs. The media had a field day, accusing the city of cronyism and misuse of taxpayer resources.

Article Everyday Ethics for Local Officials

AB 1234 Self-Study Opportunity, Part Two: Laws and Ethical Principles Related To Governmental Transparency and Fair Processes

This column is a service of the Institute for Local Government Ethics Project, which offers resources for local officials on public service ethics. For more information, visit www.ca-ilg.org/trust.

AB 1234 requires elected and appointed officials to take two hours of ethics training if they receive compensation for their service or are reimbursed for their expenses. The ethics training requirement may also apply to agency employees designated by the agency’s legislative body.

Article Everyday Ethics for Local Officials

AB 1234 Self-Study Opportunity, Part One Office-Holder Perks
Laws and Ethical Principles Related To Public Officials’ Personal Financial Gain and Office-Holder Perks

AB 1234 requires elected and appointed officials to take two hours of ethics training if they receive compensation for their services or are reimbursed for their expenses. The ethics training requirement may also apply to agency employees designated by the agency’s legislative body.

Article Everyday Ethics for Local Officials

Career-Saving Tips on Mass Mailings

Question

Our agency has undergone a management transition. The new leadership believes strongly in community outreach — including keeping the community well informed and soliciting their feedback through questionnaires. I have been hired to help in that effort.