Commission advances ethics chapter language, approves staffing and authority to hire outside counsel

The Bridgeport Charter Revision Commission took several substantive steps on the proposed ethics chapter during the meeting, approving staffing language, restoring authority for the municipal ethics director to pursue unpaid fines, clarifying membership disqualifications, and adopting language allowing the ethics commission to retain independent outside counsel.

On staffing, the commission approved consolidated language that places a director for the Office of Municipal Ethics in unclassified civil service and charges the director with day-to-day management, subject to available funding and civil service provisions. Commissioners voted to accept the staffing language bundled in the draft and to treat sections 10, 11, 13 and 14 as incorporated within that staffing approach.

The commission reconsidered a prior decision on fines-collection language and voted to restore language authorizing the director to pursue collection of unpaid fines; that motion passed by voice vote. Commissioners also debated and clarified membership rules to disqualify any person who is a city officer or employee, or a principal (or immediate family member of a principal) of a business currently doing or seeking to do business with the city, from serving on the commission; the group worked through wording changes to make the disqualification apply to candidates and to prospective members rather than implying that current members could be retroactively disqualified.

A central point of debate was whether the charter should require at least one commissioner to be an attorney or to possess legal experience. Commissioners were divided: some urged a recommendation that the mayor consider nominees with legal or ethics experience, while others warned against reserving seats for a professional subclass and noted that outside counsel and staff attorneys can supply legal advice when needed.

To address conflicts of interest and representation concerns, the commission added concise language authorizing the ethics commission to retain independent outside counsel at its discretion. The commission modeled that language on precedent from other municipalities and voted to include a sentence saying the commission may "retain independent outside counsel as necessary"; the motion carried by voice vote.

What’s next

The ethics chapter and its staffing and legal-representation provisions will go to the city council as part of the full draft report. Commissioners said they expect the council to review, hold public hearings, and return recommendations; the commission will then have an opportunity to respond and finalize wording within the statutory timeline.