Friday, April 18, 2003

Proposed ethics changes rejected

After months of review and revision, today a majority of the Board of Commissioners refused to enhance the Fulton County Code of Ethics. The legislation proposed by Commissioner Emma I. Darnell (D-District 5), would have tightened the code and given the ethics board teeth. The vote was 4-3 to reject the plan.

The revised regulations would have more specifically defined standards of ethical conduct, expanded the number of officials and employees who must provide financial disclosures, and expanded the scope of the ethics code to include county board appointees.

A key provision would have more clearly defined gifts and favors and would have more directly restricted County staff from influencing the contracting process. Solicitation of gifts or favors from vendors or potential vendors would have been specifically prohibited. The code would also have prohibited officers and employees from engaging in nepotism in County employment.

The new code would have also empowered a Board of Ethics to fine and sanction those who violate the law.

"Today's inaction simply puts us back with the current code," said Commissioner Darnell. "While the changes I had proposed would have looked out for the interest of the taxpayer more, much of the code would have remained the same."

"However, I believe this legislation was needed to better establish guidelines for ethical conduct and to tell the public we will not use our offices for personal gain." "We cannot benefit form public officedirectly or indirectly. We should buy our own lunches, we should pay for our own trips.

This is the current law, it is unchanged," said Darnell.

To review the current ethics code, and the Darnell-proposed code, log onto www.myfultoncountyga.us, the official Web site of Fulton County.