Council hears legal briefing on required ethics review board, signals preference for five‑member panel

Liberty Hill — The City Council spent an extended session reviewing legal choices for implementing an ethics review board required by the city charter, discussing membership size, qualification and disqualification standards, terms, quorum rules, and the board’s investigatory powers.

Alan Bojorquez of the Borges Law Firm (filling in for the city attorney) told council the charter limits the board’s jurisdiction mainly to conflicts of interest and financial disclosure matters, but the council may craft an ordinance to assign additional duties or provide specific bylaw guidance. He recommended an odd number of members (five, seven or nine) to reduce the risk of ties, discussed term‑staggering approaches (lot drawing for initial staggered terms), and noted the charter gives the mayor appointment authority with council confirmation unless the ordinance prescribes a different process.

Council members generally favored a five‑member board, proposed limiting service to registered voters and residents (with a fallback if no qualified candidate is available), and discussed excluding elected/appointed officials, relatives of officials or staff, members of other city boards, and convicted felons. Several council members urged wording that would insulate the board from political pressure (longer terms, clear removal criteria) and asked for sample qualification standards and bylaws.

Bojorquez said staff would draft a freestanding ordinance creating the board (and optionally a fuller ethics code) for later council debate. The council provided guidance but did not take a final vote; staff will return with a draft ordinance for formal consideration.