Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Ethics Ordinance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council member circulates draft ethics-ordinance language; council to study pledge and ordinance options
Summary
Councilmember Scott circulated comparator ethics-ordinance language from other Georgia cities and the GMA model and asked the council to review alternatives; members discussed a pledge versus enforceable ordinance and agreed to circulate sample ordinances for next meeting work sessions.
Councilmember Scott said he had compiled sample ethics-ordinance language from approximately 15–20 Georgia cities and the Georgia Municipal Association model and asked the council to study alternatives A–D and return suggestions.
"I want us to talk about it. Let's get a get get everybody on board with an ethics ordinance that we can agree with," Scott said, offering to collate council comments and recirculate a consolidated draft prior to the next meeting. Members discussed the difference between a ceremonial pledge and an enforceable ordinance, flagged risks of politicization and frivolous complaints in some jurisdictions, and recommended looking at several comparator cities (including examples of cities that chose not to adopt a standing ethics panel).
Scott proposed continuing the item through work sessions and circulating three or four comparators as a starting point. Council did not adopt any ordinance at this meeting; the item will return for further consideration.
