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Resident urges reinstatement of county Ethics Commission, cites decade of apparent noncompliance
Summary
A resident told commissioners that Allegany County has not maintained an active Ethics Commission or complied with state reporting and Open Meetings Act requirements since 2014 and urged immediate reinstatement and public explanation.
Kit Pepper of Frostburg told the Allegany County Board of Commissioners that Maryland law and county code require a five-member Ethics Commission that certifies compliance to the state each year and recommends code updates when state law changes.
"The last known appointments to the ethics commission were made in 2014," Pepper said, adding that the county has not filed the required certification since that year and that the state ethics commission has repeatedly notified the county attorney of noncompliance. Pepper said she could find no records of required meetings, agendas, notices or minutes and that a letter surfaced earlier this year showing the commission made a decision while apparently operating with a single active member.
Pepper urged the commissioners to reinstate and properly staff the Ethics Commission, bring the county into compliance immediately and provide a public explanation. "Everyone of you took an oath to uphold the law," she said.
Speakers
- Kit Pepper, resident (211 James Court, Frostburg)
Authorities
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