Last week Councilmember Tammy Morales tweeted out an interesting announcement: she recently joined the board of the Economic Opportunity Institute, a Seattle-based organization that advocates for progressive tax policy (among other issues) and heavily lobbies the City Council.
Continue readingTag: conflict of interest
Ethics commission finds new approach for conflict of interest rule change
Earlier this week, the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission (SEEC) held its monthly meeting (video). Top of the agenda: taking up once again the proposed change to the city’s conflict of interest rule for elected officials in light of the change to district-based Council positions.
Continue readingCouncil takes cautious approach to changing conflict of interest rules
I reported last night that the City Council was contemplating changing the city’s ethics code to exempt itself from recusal for financial conflicts of interest. At this morning’s committee meeting, four Council members discussed it, and while they didn’t abandon the idea, they decided to think it over more carefully before moving forward.
Continue readingCouncil again considers whether to exempt itself from recusal for financial conflict
In June 2016 the City Council considered an update to the city’s conflict of interest rules that would allow Council members to continue to participate in a legislative act in which she or he has a conflict of interest if that conflict is publicly disclosed first. After a contentious debate, it was referred back to committee, where it has languished for almost two years. This week it will be revived and get another hearing in committee.
Continue readingAn ethical dilemma
Wednesday afternoon the Council’s Education, Education and Governance Committee considered a change to their rules around financial disclosures and recusals, because while the need for them hasn’t changed, the context in which they are happening has.
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