Mount Vernon City Council Ponders Ethics Board ion
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March 1, 2011 Ernie Garcia [email protected] MOUNT VERNON — The City Council may expand the number of people who sit on the Ethics Board to boost its investigative potential. Mount Vernon's ethics panel was largely dormant last year because sitting members' terms expired and few city residents stepped forward to serve, though public interest has recently increased, said City Council President Karen Watts. Membership could rise from the current five to seven or nine members so that the Ethics Board can fulfill all the duties outlined in the ethics code, such as researching conflicts of interest and the ethical conduct of municipal officers in contract awards. "We used the White Plains board as an example," Watts said on Monday. Ethics boards have been in the spotlight because of former White Plains Mayor Adam Bradley's resignation last month. Bradley faced an investigation by the White Plains Ethics Board over potential favoritism. The City Council had its first reading of the revised law on Wednesday. Watts said she expected it to undergo one or two more readings because of uncertainty over how much board membership should be expanded. Watts said the revisions to the ethics code are unrelated to the City Council's ongoing dispute with Mayor Clinton Young over the position of city Inspector General Harry Stokes, whose salary was slashed from $110,000 to $35,000 in the adopted 2011 budget. Last year some council members argued that an Ethics Board could perform some of Stokes' duties. "Our concern is that government is supposed to operate in a very specified manner," Watts said. "The Board of Ethics is to review the processes and procedures and make sure they are adhered to." The only Ethics Board documents available for public inspection will be redacted financial disclosure reports; notices of reasonable cause for financial-disclosure violations; and notices of delinquency for failing to file disclosure reports. www.lohud.com | Printer-friendly article page http://www.lohud.com/print/article/20110301/NEWS02/103010328/Mou... 1 of 1 3/1/2011 1:58 PM
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Transcript of Mount Vernon City Council Ponders Ethics Board ion
March 1, 2011
Ernie [email protected]
MOUNT VERNON — The City Council may expand the number of people who sit on the Ethics Boardto boost its investigative potential.
Mount Vernon's ethics panel was largely dormant last year because sitting members' terms expiredand few city residents stepped forward to serve, though public interest has recently increased, saidCity Council President Karen Watts.
Membership could rise from the current five to seven or nine members so that the Ethics Board canfulfill all the duties outlined in the ethics code, such as researching conflicts of interest and the ethicalconduct of municipal officers in contract awards.
"We used the White Plains board as an example," Watts said on Monday.
Ethics boards have been in the spotlight because of former White Plains Mayor Adam Bradley'sresignation last month. Bradley faced an investigation by the White Plains Ethics Board over potentialfavoritism.
The City Council had its first reading of the revised law on Wednesday. Watts said she expected it toundergo one or two more readings because of uncertainty over how much board membership shouldbe expanded.
Watts said the revisions to the ethics code are unrelated to the City Council's ongoing dispute withMayor Clinton Young over the position of city Inspector General Harry Stokes, whose salary wasslashed from $110,000 to $35,000 in the adopted 2011 budget. Last year some council membersargued that an Ethics Board could perform some of Stokes' duties.
"Our concern is that government is supposed to operate in a very specified manner," Watts said. "TheBoard of Ethics is to review the processes and procedures and make sure they are adhered to."
The only Ethics Board documents available for public inspection will be redacted financial disclosurereports; notices of reasonable cause for financial-disclosure violations; and notices of delinquency forfailing to file disclosure reports.
www.lohud.com | Printer-friendly article page http://www.lohud.com/print/article/20110301/NEWS02/103010328/Mou...
1 of 1 3/1/2011 1:58 PM
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