Sacramento City Council approves ethics package
A package of “good governance” measures, including creation of an ethics commission and an independent redistricting commission, was approved by the Sacramento City Council on Tuesday.
The council also accepted the city auditor’s finding that the city’s sexual harassment policy needs to be updated, and directed the city manager to make the recommended changes.
The “good governance” recommendations were made by a City Council ad hoc committee appointed by Mayor Kevin Johnson that met behind closed doors for months. The committee worked with attorneys specializing in government ethics, the League of Women Voters and government watchdog Common Cause. Those groups supported the proposals presented to the council Tuesday evening.
“Usually, cities don’t do sweeping reforms like this,” said Councilwoman Angelique Ashby, who chaired the ad hoc committee. “Usually, it’s shoved down their throats with a ballot measure.”
The ad hoc committee’s proposals were approved by a 8-0 vote, with Councilman Jay Schenirer absent.
A majority of the approximately 30 people who addressed the council urged approval of the recommendations.
“These are major, major reforms,” said former Sacramento city manager Bill Edgar in voicing his support.
But the watchdog group Eye on Sacramento urged the council to modify the ad hoc committee’s proposals. The group criticized the committee for meeting behind closed doors for 10 months, then calling on the council to immediately adopt its recommendations with little opportunity for the public to evaluate the proposals.
Noting that the ad hoc committee’s recommendations weren’t made public until late Thursday, Craig Powell, president of Eye on Sacramento, asked the council to forward the recommendations to the council’s law and legislation committee, without formal endorsement, to allow a full review and public debate.
The council, however, decided to move forward to establish an independent redistricting commission to redraw City Council district boundaries. The ad hoc committee recommended modeling the process after that used by the state. The intent is to take the politics out of redistricting and prevent council members from drawing district boundaries to benefit themselves.
Establishment of the commission requires voter approval and the ad hoc committee recommended placing a measure on the November 2018 ballot. This would allow the commission to handle redistricting following the 2020 census.
USUALLY CITIES DON’T DO SWEEPING REFORMS LIKE THIS. USUALLY, IT’S SHOVED DOWN THEIR THROATS WITH A BALLOT MEASURE.
City Councilwoman Angelique Ashby
The council also directed the city clerk to work with the city attorney to draft an ethics code for presentation to the council for review and approval by late December or early next year.
The ethics reform package includes establishment of an office of compliance with a compliance officer and administrative support position in the city clerk’s office to educate employees and monitor the city’s compliance with its ethic policies.
The ethics commission is proposed to consist of five commissioners with legal backgroundsSacramento City Council approves ethics package | The Sacramento Bee:
