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Binghamton council advances ordinance to require financial disclosures for officials
Summary
The Binghamton City Council voted 6-0 to introduce Ordinance O25-43, which would require financial-disclosure forms from elected officials, appointed board members and certain department heads; council members debated exemptions for advisory volunteers and said the county form would be used as a template.
The Binghamton City Council on first reading introduced Ordinance O25-43, a proposal to require financial-disclosure forms from elected officials, appointed board members and some department-level positions. The motion to introduce the ordinance passed on a 6-0 roll call with one member absent.
Council member Betzke, who moved to introduce the ordinance, said the city currently does not require such disclosures and that the measure would “put us more in line with how other levels of government operate in terms of disclosure.” Betzke said she used the financial-disclosure form Broome County currently requires as a model and called the bill “a first step” toward greater transparency.
Supporters said the ordinance would make potential conflicts of interest more visible. One council member urged pragmatism, saying, “do not let the perfect be the enemy of the good,” and affirmed support for the measure despite reservations about details.
During discussion, council members raised concerns about the scope of the requirement. Several speakers said some purely advisory boards should not be required to file disclosures and questioned whether certain deputy-level positions should be covered. Council members said they expect to monitor implementation and amend the ordinance if needed. Betzke reported discussing the proposal with the Southside Neighborhood Assembly and with a county official, and said neither constituent feedback nor county practice suggested the requirement would discourage participation on boards.
The council recorded the following roll-call votes on the motion to introduce Ordinance O25-43: Middleton — Aye; Kavanaugh — Aye; Hotchkiss — Aye; Metavetsky — Aye; Rathbone — Aye; Dunton (Council president) — Aye. Council member Murray was absent. The clerk announced the vote as 6-0.
The action at the meeting was introduction on first reading only; the ordinance was not adopted on final passage. Council members indicated the ordinance could be revised in later readings or through subsequent amendments as implementation questions are resolved.
