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Council invites Virginia Conflict of Interest Advisory Council for training and asks ethics committee to draft council code of ethics
Summary
Council voted to invite the Virginia Conflict of Interest Advisory Council to a February work session for training and charged the local ethics committee to convert the recently adopted conflict of interest policy into a council code of ethics. The invite passed unanimously; the ethics committee charge passed 6-1.
Council agreed to invite the Virginia Conflict of Interest Advisory Council to a February work session to provide training and information on conflict-of-interest rules.
Councilor Stokes moved to invite the state advisory council and Councilor Harris seconded; the motion passed 7-0.
Separately, the council charged the local ethics committee to convert the city’s existing conflict-of-interest policy into a council code of ethics. Councilor Day moved the charge and Vice Mayor Joyner seconded. The motion passed 6-1.
Supporters said the state advisory council training will give all council members access to guidance and that converting the policy into a code of ethics could resolve questions raised by the attorney general’s guidance. Dissenting comments focused on whether repealing the existing policy and the timing of litigation were appropriate; Councilor Holloway voiced strong objections and asked that litigation be allowed to run its course before policy changes.
Council did not adopt a final code of ethics at the meeting; it directed the ethics committee to prepare the draft code for future council consideration.
