MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – Should Vermont municipal officials have an ethical code of conduct?
A group of state and local leaders last fall began work on a proposed ethics framework for employees of towns and cities. In a new report, the Ethics Commission recommended creating a statewide code of ethics for municipal officials, expanding the Ethics Commission’s powers to give towns advice, and creating an independent body to investigate and enforce municipal complaints.
“I think it’s important that people know what’s expected of them. A lot of people say ethics is black and white, the difference between right and wrong. But not always. There are some, based on the number of inquiries we get into our office, about requests for guidance. It’s not always clear. It’s an aid for people serving in municipal government, it’s not just a tool for accountability,” said Christina Sivret, the commission’s executive director.
Some small towns with few resources to train people in local government have raised concerns about complying with ethics rules.
The Vermont Secretary of State’s Office fielded 77 questions about ethics on the local level last year.
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