Council To Fix Ethics Law
A bill updating Baltimore County's deficient ethics laws could be introduced in the County Council as soon as next week.
"We know what we want to do," Council Chairwoman Vicki Almond said Wednesday. "We might as well go ahead and do it."
Almond said a bill is being drafted to deal with a number of shortcomings in county ethics laws. State law passed in 2010 requires each local government to annually certify to the state Ethics Commission that the local ethics laws are at least equal to state requirements.
The council passed a bill introduced by County Executive Kevin Kamenetz last November, but the state Ethics Commission officials sent a letter in February to the county identifying six areas of conflict between state and county laws.
One of those areas of conflict is the acceptance of sporting event tickets by elected officials—a practice that "has not been allowed under state law for many years."
Kamenetz and Council members Almond, Cathy Bevins, David Marks, John Olszewski Sr. and Tom Quirk all reported receiving tickets to sporting events or other trips in 2011 from developers and others in their most recent ethics disclosure filings.
Councilman Todd Huff, a Timonium Republican, acknowledged in an interview with Patch that he accepted tickets to the 2011 Super Bowl in Dallas from a developer who also owns a shopping center that rents space to Huff's family tire business. The developer also donated $3,000 to Huff's 2010 campaign.
Huff did not disclose the Super Bowl ticket or tickets to another Baltimore Ravens game given to him by another developer on his ethics disclosure forms. He has also declined to provide details about two other games he attended in 2011.
"It will be good for us to take care of it as soon as possible," Almond said of the effort to update the law.
Almond said she has had no conversations with Kamenetz about the executive's plans to update the law.
"I always thought it was up to us to do something about this," Almond said.
The chairwoman said the bill could be ready for introduction as soon as the Council's May 24 meeting but no later than its June 4 meeting—either date would put the bill on track for a final vote on July 2.
K Blue
1:06 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
Excellent.
jim butterfield
2:59 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
I cannot believe that the members of the baltimore council did not know that receiving gifts from developers and others doing business with their agencies or whose activities are regulated by them is a conflict of intersest. the integrety of the county executive and the baltimore council has been severly damaged by not complying with the state of marylands of ethics
fred
6:28 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
i did'nt know i could not go 37 mph in a 25 mph camera zone. thick that work work as an excuse? please mr camera let me go.
Arbutus Town Crier
2:17 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
I have been always curious of the area 21229 Northern Arbutus with the very old Apartment complexes has been neglected causing housing value to drop, why isn't the laws enforced? http://www.peoples-law.org/node/1031, Special Laws & Rules for Baltimore County, http://www.apartmentratings.com/rate/MD-Baltimore-Meadow-Lane-Apartments.html#b the front offices are picture perfect. They get a 14% rating for livability it’s sad that they live in those conditions
The zip code, if you look at the map it makes you wonder? Is it ethics? Poor leadership of our elected officials, I don’t know?
Buzz Beeler
2:44 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
The power of the press. Bryan Bernstein Sears. When the sun is shinning as in the truth, there is a tendency to for some to burn faster than others.
All kidding aside my question the changes are the right move but the problem arises as in a situation like this blog reveals. Where are those with the law degrees to review and advise on these matters. The county does have a office of law. Even Homan is an attorney. The police have a legal department and the county executive is an attorney for Pete's sake.
http://dundalk.patch.com/blog_posts/police-review-process-raises-more-ethical-questions
Someone has to mind the store. We don't want any shoplifting.
Arbutus Town Crier
5:14 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
Great quote Buzz,
The main problem? In a republican nation whose citizens are to be led by reason and persuasion and not by force, the art of reasoning becomes of first importance. – Thomas Jefferson, 1824 THEN....Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide. – John Adams (1814) ....In the beginning 1800's republic a nation, 2012 democracy....If we don't get it right history will repeat itself (ROME) Ask yourself this question. Should any bill be longer than the Constitution and the Bill of Rights combined? The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, which gave us the interstate highway system we use today, was 2 pages long and was budgeted at $25 billion dollars, biggest build since the pyramids. and no pork in it. Now its 2012 and how many pages would it take?. blue collar worker is lost in all the documentation as we wonder why is there ethical problems? Besides cash cannot be traced from what I have heard, but tickets C/C transactions, banking' GIFT CARDS. Well educated people know these facts? this is a general statement and not intended directly to the person in question of alleged ethic violation.
Paul Amirault
8:30 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
But if it comes under the name of XXX, Inc., then what?
Arbutus Town Crier
9:32 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
Paul that one you have to figure out, XXX.inc is porn shop or a moonshine company...LOL
Paul Amirault
5:16 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
Just take the cash, that is completely legal!!
Buck Harmon
8:21 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
But don't take the cash and not report it...
Arbutus Town Crier
7:39 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
Paul,
you may be right! It depends on ones morals, I forgot about the some public laws don't include government Elected officials! I completely forgot about the stock issue on Capital Hill. It must be the blue collar ignorance. I can see if someone come over the house for dinner and left a brief case or even a nice birthday gift all wrapped up with a wink and a nod. Just as long as its $9999.00 withdraw from the bank. I have seen that in some organizations have the same issues. Some honorable people have the morals and wouldn't think of ever accepting anything for having the privilege to serve our country. I can see now why one would have a career in the political arena for self interests. I know some companies will not allow anything above $25.Its good enough for business lunch or a gift of good intentions but not exceeding it.
ZIG
11:00 am on Friday, May 18, 2012
It did not take councilman Huff very long to get the hang of maryland politics. He filed false forms and then forgot some gifts? I simply do not believe him. Ethics lapses cross party lines in maryland. I wish we had a 3rd party in Md. Neither party serves us well.
Buck Harmon
10:28 pm on Friday, May 18, 2012
I agree with you Irvin...we get screwed equally by both parties..
Buzz Beeler
1:31 pm on Friday, May 18, 2012
Where's the state AG. Oh that's right, he's busy with robocalls, and Republicans in AA County.
mwdubs
10:50 pm on Monday, May 21, 2012
The article seems to be saying that Vicki Almond is the champion of this campaign to fix ethical issues in the council. The Baltimore Sun reported on May 2, 2012, that Vicky Almond received $732 worth of tickets from Arthur Adler of Caves Valley Partners. Almond claims, “It isn’t something I’ve overused or taken advantage of.” What dollar amount is considered “overused”? If one is on a council, which can enable building permits to be expedited, then $1.00 in gifts from a developer is too much. Most importantly, not once does the article mention what side of the aisle members of the council are on, that is until Todd Huff’s political affiliation is brought up. Bryan P. Sears fails to address the County Executive, Kevin Kamenetz, as the Democrat he is, and the fact that Kamenetz received $2600 worth of Ravens tickets last year alone. It is pieces like this which give an unbalanced view of where the problems lie in both local and national government.