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Staff: Dorchester County ethics ordinance remains aligned with state law; committee to file annual report
Summary
Staff reported the Dorchester County Public Ethics Ordinance remains at least as stringent as state law, noted a minor technical reference issue that could be fixed in ordinance language, recommended the committee certify compliance and instructed the chairman to sign the required report to the county council and state ethics office.
A staff member told the committee that "the Dorchester County Public Ethics Ordinance is at least as stringent as the state law requires in terms of conflicts of interest and financial disclosures," and said the state law has not changed in the current session.
The staff member described a minor technical drafting issue in the ordinance—a reference to a prior article that was recodified under the general provisions of the code—and said it was not substantive. "It's not a big deal. It's very technical," the staff member said, and added that if the county wanted to amend the ordinance to correct the reference it could do so at a future legislative meeting.
Staff recommended the committee make the required certification and noted that "the chairman has to sign the form." Staff also said it would prepare the report to the county council that documents the number of meetings, agendas, minutes and attendance over the past year and would include any other documentation of the committee's work; the staff member reported there were no ethics complaints requiring action in the prior 12 months.
