Denton council reviews board-backed ethics ordinance changes, debates ‘should have known’ standard

Denton City Auditor Madison Rorschaw told the City Council on March 4 that the city's Board of Ethics is recommending two amendments to the city's ethics ordinance and sought council direction on several specific changes.

"Hello, mayor and council. I'm Madison Rorschaw, Denton City Auditor. I'm also the staff liaison to the city's Board of Ethics," Rorschaw said in opening the work session presentation. She said the Board developed the proposals over five meetings and based on review of other codes.

The central changes proposed by the Board of Ethics would: (1) broaden the definition of a conflict of interest by replacing the ordinance's narrow "pending matter" list with a four-part test and by including acts such as setting policy direction or making appointments; (2) add a 30-day deadline to file a disclosure after a conflict arises during deliberations, with that disclosure remaining effective for one year; (3) change which relatives automatically trigger a recusal and add a new client relationship category; and (4) replace the ordinance's unclear evidentiary language with a standard described as establishing facts "to a reasonable certainty."

Why it matters: supporters said the changes would let the Board of Ethics consider…