County attorney asks board to remove nepotism section from Warren County ethics code; supervisors approve

The Warren County attorney recommended removing the county ethics code's nepotism section so local policy aligns with New York State Ethics Law, and the board approved the amendment in a voice vote.

Attorney Larry Elmen told supervisors that state ethics law focuses on conflicts of interest, contracts, financial interests and disclosure requirements and does not include the nepotism restrictions in the county code. He said Local Law 4 of 2026 amended the definition of 'relative' to match the state's definition, and that change has raised application conflicts in the county's nepotism language. Removing the nepotism portion of the ethics code, he said, would align local policy with state law.

The motion to bring the amendment to the floor was moved and seconded; no substantive questions were recorded and the board approved the change by voice vote.

Why it matters: The amendment eliminates a local nepotism provision that, according to the county attorney, is inconsistent with state law as recently amended. The transcript does not include the exact statutory text or a read-back of the new local policy language; the board referenced Local Law 4 of 2026 as background.

What happens next: The clerk will publish the amended ethics code and staff will proceed with implementing the removal of the nepotism section as approved.