Ethics board adopts conflict-of-interest ordinance aligned with Florida statute exemptions

The City of Tallahassee Independent Ethics Board adopted ordinance 24 ORD 04AA on Aug. 19 to revise local rules governing doing business and conflicting relationships so they more closely mirror state law and relevant advisory opinions.

The adopted text incorporates exemptions described in Florida statutes (as discussed in the meeting transcript) related to doing‑business and conflicting relationships, and it clarifies an exemption for work with a tax‑exempt organization (described in the discussion as "5 0 1 c general, not c 3"). The staff presentation also noted moving previously discussed language from one subsection to another and adding a new clause stating that conduct must not "jeopardize the public trust," language the presenter said was drawn from ethics opinion 20‑9.

Board members moved and seconded the adoption and the motion carried. During discussion, the presenter noted that the ethics opinion (20‑9) lays out four factors used in that opinion to determine when the public trust is jeopardized; the board did not attempt to incorporate those four factors verbatim into the ordinance because the factors are fact‑specific.

The ordinance as adopted keeps the exemption structure aligned with the state statute language and adds the public‑trust qualifier so the ordinance can be interpreted with reference to established advisory opinions when conflicts are evaluated.

Why it matters: the change clarifies which exemptions apply under local rules and signals that the board will consider whether particular activities "jeopardize the public trust" when applying exemptions. That phrasing creates a reference point for staff and board members when reviewing potential conflicts.