Santa Fe ethics board plans subcommittees to review ethics and campaign rules, asks clerk and city attorneys for help

The City of Santa Fe Ethics Review Board voted to form two subcommittees to review the municipal ethics code and campaign rules, and asked city staff and the city attorney's office for research and drafting assistance. Board members said the reviews should cover possible gaps in the city's ethics provisions (including rules about councilors' interactions with staff, harassment and discrimination complaints) and campaign-related matters such as disclosure rules for social media, outside groups and political action committees. "Social media has become the campaign sign," Member Black said during the discussion, urging the board to consider how digital communications fit within existing campaign rules. Another member raised the question of whether campaign material produced with artificial intelligence would be considered disseminated by a campaign. The clerk told the board the complaint form and related materials are available on the city's website but acknowledged the form contains a typographical citation error; board members asked the clerk to correct that error immediately rather than waiting for later meetings. The board also requested that the city attorney's office provide drafting support for any substantive code changes the subcommittees recommend. Ruby Cruz, a representative from the city attorney's office, attended and confirmed staff support would be helpful. Board members discussed timing and decided it would be difficult to finish comprehensive changes before the upcoming election but said they might prepare recommendations for the incoming council. To manage work without violating open-meetings laws, members proposed subcommittees with fewer than a quorum to research topics and return proposals to the full board. Several members volunteered to serve; the clerk will schedule follow-up meetings in November. Members emphasized that these discussions were exploratory. "I'm not recommending yes or no on anything," the chair said; the purpose is to identify potential gaps and to offer draft language for council consideration if the board chooses to pursue changes.