Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz
Ethics Press Conference
November 2, 2011
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for being here today. I would like to take a moment to thank everyone for joining us this morning, particularly Elaine Katz, the Executive Director of the Ethics Commission and Ben Pollokof, the Chair of the Ethics Commission.
Public Service
Whether we serve as elected officials or county employees, we are all public servants. And we should be guided by Thomas Jefferson who once said, “That when a man assumes the public trust, he should consider himself public property.”
The privilege of public service requires certain responsibilities. Because we work for the people, we have an obligation to hold ourselves to the highest standards of conduct. Our fellow citizens deserve nothing less. That is why on Monday, November 7, I will be introducing legislation to the Baltimore County Council calling for significant changes to our ethics laws. These changes strengthen existing regulations, establish clear ethical standards and expectations of County workers, and also ensure that our ethics laws are aligned to those for State employees.
Ethics Law Changes
That is why on Monday, November 7, I will be introducing legislation to the Baltimore County Council calling for significant changes to our ethics laws. These changes strengthen existing regulations, establish clear ethical standards and expectations of County workers, and also ensure that our ethics laws are aligned to those for State employees.
Let me highlight some of the key features of the proposed legislation. Employees are currently barred from participating in a matter if their spouse or child has an interest in it. This law extends the County’s prohibition of employees’ participation in a County matter when their spouse or child has an interest to also include parents and siblings.
The legislation strengthens the definition of conflict of interest so that a County employee will be prohibited from working for a company that does business with the County. The law also prohibits a contractor from employing a County employee who is involved in creating the specifications for a government bid.
There has been a longstanding portion of the Charter which has prohibited members of the County Council from working for the State or the County. This law will codify that rule.
Employee Ethics
County employees will not be permitted to represent a party for any compensation in a matter before or involving the County or the State.
This law prohibits officials and employees from soliciting gifts from those who do business with the County. In addition, it mandates that County employees may not accept tickets to any kind of event (whether it’s a sports game or a political dinner or an art gallery opening) from anyone who does business with the County.
Right now, former county workers are allowed to assist or represent someone in a matter they were involved in while working for the County a year after they have left their jobs. This law will prohibit any former employee from ever representing anyone seeking compensation in an area in which that employee worked for the County.
County Council Ethics
The bill also clarifies the voting and disclosure rules for members of the County Council when they have a conflict of interest by adopting the rules used by the Maryland General Assembly. This means if they have a direct interest in a bill or a close economic association with anyone involved with a bill, they will be expected to disqualify themselves from the vote.
Financial Disclosure
The revised legislation will also require financial disclosure by public officials to be posted online annually, beginning May 1, 2012. The law will also impose late fees for tardy filing of financial disclosure statements and lobbying registrations or reports.
Serving Baltimore County
Many of these changes are overdue, but all of them are common sense. For generations, thousands of men and women have served the people of Baltimore County with distinction. We have a responsibility to live up to their legacy and serve the people of our communities with the honor and dignity they have come to expect. I know how committed the members of the County Council are to an open and ethical government, and I am confident that they will work with me to pass this law.
But our move towards a more ethical, more responsible County government will not wait until Monday. It begins in just a few moments, when I will sign an Executive Order on Ethics and Integrity in Government that applies immediately to all 8,000 Baltimore County employees. This is the first such executive order that has ever been issued, and it documents the clear expectation that everyone who serves the people of this County, from myself to the newest employee, will act with the highest ethical and professional standards. It is designed to protect employees from bias and to ensure that there are consequences for dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation. It clarifies the expectation that Baltimore County employees are first and foremost public servants who are expected to be professional, fair, civil, and courteous at all times.
Executive Order
The executive order also requires every Department director to designate a current employee as the Public Ethics Officer for that agency. These individuals will be responsible for the implementation of this order and will ensure that all employees are aware of what is expected of them. In addition, the Public Ethics Officers will be there for their coworkers when they have questions, complaints, or needs regarding the County ethics laws. Also, every year, employees will have to complete an annual training module online regarding our ethics policies. This will ensure that all employees begin their year with a reminder as to what we expect from those who work in Baltimore County government.
This executive order and proposed legislation represent many months of hard work and preparation and I would like to take a moment to thank County Attorney Mike Field and his staff for all their contributions to this effort.
I consider myself lucky to have served the people of Baltimore County for more than 17 years. And even though I am proud of the contributions I have made, I know that I am just the latest in a long line of men and women who have dedicated themselves to serving our communities. They have established a standard, and I am committed to ensuring that everyone in County government lives up to that standard.
This law and this executive order may make several changes to the laws we have on the books, but it upholds the spirit and the integrity that have made this government so effective for so long. And I have every confidence that the public servants of Baltimore County are ready and willing to embrace these changes.
Now, to begin this process, I will sign this Executive Order on Ethics and Integrity in Government.
