Austin law department proposes code cleanup to clarify Ethics Review Commission jurisdiction

The City of Austin Law Department presented a draft ordinance on Sept. 24 to clarify references in city code about who the Ethics Review Commission may investigate, and commission members discussed the change and asked staff questions but did not record a formal vote.

The ordinance would revise City Code section 2-7-27 to state directly which officials the ERC may hear sworn complaints about instead of pointing readers to another section of code. The law department said the change is intended only to clarify jurisdiction after a 2019 amendment and a separate 2024 amendment to a related section left a cross-reference that is now outdated.

Caroline Webster, executive liaison for the City of Austin Law Department, said the proposed language would read, in part, that “the ethics review commission may only hear or initiate a sworn complaint alleging a violation of Article 4, the code of ethics, against a member of the city council or their direct staff, a person appointed by the city council pursuant to the city charter, or…