A bill updating Baltimore County's deficient ethics laws could be introduced in the County Council as soon as next week.
"We know what we want to do," Council Chairwoman Vicki Almond said Wednesday. "We might as well go ahead and do it."
Almond said a bill is being drafted to deal with a number of shortcomings in . State law passed in 2010 requires each local government to annually certify to the state Ethics Commission that the local ethics laws are at least equal to state requirements.
The council passed a bill introduced by County Executive Kevin Kamenetz last November, but the state Ethics Commission officials sent a letter in February to the county identifying six areas of conflict between state and county laws.
One of those areas of conflict is the acceptance of sporting event tickets by elected officials—a practice that "has not been allowed under state law for many years."
Kamenetz and Council members Almond, Cathy Bevins, David Marks, John Olszewski Sr. and Tom Quirk all reported receiving tickets to sporting events or other trips in 2011 from developers and others in their most recent ethics disclosure filings.
Councilman Todd Huff, a Timonium Republican, acknowledged in an interview with Patch that he accepted tickets to the 2011 Super Bowl in Dallas from a developer who also owns a shopping center that rents space to Huff's family tire business. The developer also donated $3,000 to Huff's 2010 campaign.
Huff did not disclose the Super Bowl ticket or tickets to another Baltimore Ravens game given to him by another developer on his ethics disclosure forms. He has also declined to provide details about two other games he attended in 2011.
"It will be good for us to take care of it as soon as possible," Almond said of the effort to update the law.
Almond said she has had no conversations with Kamenetz about the executive's plans to update the law.
"I always thought it was up to us to do something about this," Almond said.
The chairwoman said the bill could be ready for introduction as soon as the Council's May 24 meeting but no later than its June 4 meeting—either date would put the bill on track for a final vote on July 2.
The zip code, if you look at the map it makes you wonder? Is it ethics? Poor leadership of our elected officials, I don’t know?
All kidding aside my question the changes are the right move but the problem arises as in a situation like this blog reveals. Where are those with the law degrees to review and advise on these matters. The county does have a office of law. Even Homan is an attorney. The police have a legal department and the county executive is an attorney for Pete's sake. http://dundalk.patch.com/blog_posts/police-review-process-raises-more-ethical-questions Someone has to mind the store. We don't want any shoplifting.
The main problem? In a republican nation whose citizens are to be led by reason and persuasion and not by force, the art of reasoning becomes of first importance. – Thomas Jefferson, 1824 THEN....Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide. – John Adams (1814) ....In the beginning 1800's republic a nation, 2012 democracy....If we don't get it right history will repeat itself (ROME) Ask yourself this question. Should any bill be longer than the Constitution and the Bill of Rights combined? The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, which gave us the interstate highway system we use today, was 2 pages long and was budgeted at $25 billion dollars, biggest build since the pyramids. and no pork in it. Now its 2012 and how many pages would it take?. blue collar worker is lost in all the documentation as we wonder why is there ethical problems? Besides cash cannot be traced from what I have heard, but tickets C/C transactions, banking' GIFT CARDS. Well educated people know these facts? this is a general statement and not intended directly to the person in question of alleged ethic violation.
you may be right! It depends on ones morals, I forgot about the some public laws don't include government Elected officials! I completely forgot about the stock issue on Capital Hill. It must be the blue collar ignorance. I can see if someone come over the house for dinner and left a brief case or even a nice birthday gift all wrapped up with a wink and a nod. Just as long as its $9999.00 withdraw from the bank. I have seen that in some organizations have the same issues. Some honorable people have the morals and wouldn't think of ever accepting anything for having the privilege to serve our country. I can see now why one would have a career in the political arena for self interests. I know some companies will not allow anything above $25.Its good enough for business lunch or a gift of good intentions but not exceeding it.