Palm Beach County Commission on Ethics seeks BCC review to align ordinance with Senate Bill 7014

The Palm Beach County Commission on Ethics asked the Board of County Commissioners to open a review committee to update the county's Commission on Ethics Ordinance to comply with Senate Bill 7014, the commission's executive director said during the meeting.

The request follows the commission's recent outreach and Ethics Awareness Month activities, the executive director said. "It's just going to make the changes so that we're in compliance," the executive director said of the ordinance revision. Vice Chair Peter Cruz asked for confirmation that the review would "only focus on the state change," and the executive director answered, "Correct."

The commission described the proposed review committee's composition: two Board of County Commissioners appointees, two appointees from the League of Cities (plus the League's general counsel), the county attorney or a designee, and the commission's executive director. The executive director said staff is coordinating with county administration and hoped to convene the committee in May or early June.

Commission staff also reported local outreach conducted in March. The commission received an Ethics Awareness Month proclamation from the Board of County Commissioners presented by Commissioner Marcy Woodward and a separate proclamation from the City of Palm Beach Gardens. Staff participated in an outreach event with the Lions Club of Boca Raton, attended the City of Palm Beach Gardens vendor open house, held a joint ethics awareness event with the Office of Inspector General, and attended municipal meetings in the towns of Loxahatchee Groves, Haverhill and Lake Park. Staff member Liz Martin was named as attending the Palm Beach Gardens vendor event.

On routine business, the commission voted to approve minutes from its March 6, 2025 meeting and to accept/approve Processed Advisory Opinion 25-4. Both motions were made and seconded and were recorded as passed with commissioners saying "aye"; the transcript does not record roll-call tallies or individual vote names.

There were no public comments recorded at the meeting, and the commission moved to adjourn after the executive director's remarks.

Why it matters: updating the county's ethics ordinance is required to ensure local rules reflect changes enacted at the state level; the commission's coordination with county administration and municipal partners sets the timetable and membership for the planned review.