DEERFIELD JUMPED ON THE ETHICS CODE BANDWAGON….
Sentinel….excerpt..(full text…link below)……
‘Deerfield Beach adopts ethics ordinance
March 4, 2009
Deerfield Beach passed a strict new ethics ordinance with broad authority over elected officials, political candidates, the city manager and anyone doing business with the municipality.
“This is something that the city can be very proud of, and I hope that it sets the tone for other cities in Broward County and across the state of Florida,” she said.’
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/community/news/deerfield_beach/sfl-flbdeerfieldethics0304sbmar04,0,3121635.story
Next up….Pompano Beach…..(previous post)…(full text in current Pelican edition)…….
In the Pompano Pelican…2/27/09 edition…’Pompano commissioners ready to sign new ethics code’…Their commission will finalize its approval next month…After having Travis Williamson who heads the Coalition for Ethical Government speak and some decisions made…the commission approved….’a “simple” majority of the appointed ethics board have the power to determine what is “frivolous”…’Commissioners will have 12 prohibitions including voting on items where there is a conflict of interest or where there can be direct benefit from a vote’….also…’improper use of city position for personal benefit or gain, city property or city vehicles’….’gifts, compensation, favors, gratuities’ will be prohibited with an exception made for city hosted meals or gifts less than $50′…The code beyond the time of being an elected official to extend 2 years after their terms making it so they cannot divulge confidential information…privileged information…and may not represent any person as an advocate for something they were involved in while serving….Citizens who want to file a complaint will pay $300 to the Pompano Beach Ethics Board…the Town Attorney…said the board could make the determination if the charges were serious enough to go to county court…or the state prosecutor…and here’s the kicker…’The city’s board of ethics does not duplicate state prohibitions such as Sunshine violations.
AND….The Broward County Commission…
Sentinel…3/2/09…excerpt…(full text link below)…….
‘Group to write ethics code for Broward County Commission
More than six years after voters demanded a code of ethics for Broward County Click here for restaurant inspection reports commissioners, work on the measure has begun.
The County Commission must approve whatever rules the task force develops. Otherwise, the proposal will be placed on the November 2010 ballot for voters.
Voters in 2002 initially ordered commissioners to write a code of ethics that requires them to avoid even the appearance of impropriety. When that did not happen, the board in charge of updating the county’s charter last year asked voters to create a task force to do the job instead. The proposal won with 57 percent of the vote.
Commissioners named nine of the 11 members of the task force, while the League of Cities appointed two.
“The problem here is not the committee or the ethics code it writes, the problem really is the County Commission and the voters,” Lewis said. “The voters continue to elect people who don’t make any attempt to act in accordance with an ethical standard.”
Members of the task force are uncertain what they will draft, but said they plan to study rules elsewhere.’
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbethics0302sbmar02,0,6448098.story
And then there’s LBTS…(previous post…scoops…LBTS 2/24/09 agenda/meeting categories)…where then- Commissioner McIntee brought this to the table in 2006…and kept it coming back to the table through 2007…Only to do an about face in 2009…( 2/24-25/09)……saying it was not needed…backtracking on his introducing this on the dais… …and backing out of his promise to put a portion of it ( 2-Hats) on a referendum to let the people decide…
BC- No big surprise though…this is the same guy (Vice Mayor McIntee)…who wants to usurp the Performance Review required in the Town Manager’s contract…Curiously not done for the past 2 years… found after a Public Records request of her contract….and posted by this writer…Something else that will be done in Deerfield Beach and Pompano Beach this coming year!….
More on this to come…in the next post….now that McIntee has put his alternative version…definitely not included in her contract….on the 3/10/09 agenda …under New Business…
Tags: local government, Local Politics, News, Scoops
