Ethics in Jacksonville: The Clark Amendment

City Councilman Richard Clark of District three threw a wrench in the plans of Ethics reformers at the Rules Committee meeting on Monday June 6, 2011. Clark's amendment changed the appointment process for the Ethics commission, taking power away from civic groups like the Bar Association and Women's League of Voters, and instead putting that power solely in the hands of the elected officials the commission is supposed to be watching.

Those with appointment power to the Ethics commission would include the mayor, council president, sheriff, state attorney, public defender and chief judge. The appointees would then appoint three more members, bringing the total number of commissioners to nine. 

Another amendment took away the commission's ability to hire executive staff. Instead, the commission can only make recommendations to the mayor.

What was witnessed in council chambers on Monday was a serious "watering down" of good ethics legislation. Instead of having a strong and independent watchdog group the city council has made it to where elected officials are selecting their own supervisors. They are so concerned about being able to check the commission from becoming a political weapon, but where is the check on a corrupt political system?

Supporters of the ethics legislation now find themselves in a difficult situation. The proposed legislation does accomplish some good things. It puts the ethics commission in the city charter and provides a good way to keep local government transparent and open. It may have been watered down, but it is still a good bill.

The trio of ethics bills are scheduled to go before the full council soon, where more amendments are expected to be proposed and debated. Let us hope that these bills will not be watered down any more than they already have been.

A video of the June 6 Rules Committee meeting can be found here.