Message from City:
The City of Tallahassee’s newly formed Ethics Advisory Panel is hosting a Town Hall Discussion next week (more information below) that we thought the League of Women Voters might be interested in. The panel’s goal for the meeting is to receive feedback from the community on the City’s policies and procedures related to ethics, transparency and financial disclosure requirements. As you have a very knowledgeable and active member base, we were hoping you might pass along this information so they were aware of the opportunity to comment. If they can’t attend the meeting on 1/10, they can also email comments to ethics@talgov.com.
Thank you for your time, and if you have any questions, my contact information is listed at the bottom of the email (following the news release).
Sincerely,
Lizzy Kelley
City of Tallahassee
Dept. of Communications
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CITY OF TALLAHASSEE NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 3, 2013
CONTACT: Matt Lutz, Treasurer-Clerk’s Office, 891-8130; or
Lizzy Kelley, Communications Department, 891-8533
Public Comments Sought by City’s Ethics Advisory Panel
Town Hall Discussion Scheduled for 1/10
The City of Tallahassee Ethics Advisory Panel will hold a Town Hall Discussion on Thursday, Jan. 10. The discussion will take place following the panel’s meeting, which begins at 5 p.m. in the second floor conference room at the Frenchtown Renaissance Center, 435 N. Macomb Street. It is anticipated that the public speaking portion will begin around 5:30 p.m.
The purpose of the discussion is to receive citizen input on possible amendments to the City of Tallahassee policies and procedures related to ethics, transparency of the government and financial disclosure requirements.
“We have received detailed information on the City’s current practices, many of which are consistent with the best practices we’ve seen across the state and nation,” said Martha Barnett, chair of the Ethics Advisory Panel. “While all of our meetings are public, the purpose of this town hall discussion is to provide a chance for citizens to share their thoughts and ideas, as well as provide feedback, on some areas the committee is exploring.”
While citizens attending the event can speak on any ethics related issue, the committee is asking them to consider providing feedback on three specific areas:
1. Looking at the City’s overall history in regard to ethics, financial disclosure and transparency, do you have any specific recommendations on ways to strengthen the approach.
2. The committee has discussed naming an Ethics Officer to serve as a central resource for employees and citizens with questions or concerns. The committee has also evaluated the need for an ethics clearinghouse where all information on ethics, state and local requirements, disclosure requirements, etc., would be maintained to allow easy access to information. Feedback is sought for both of these concepts.
3. The committee is looking at best practices among local and state governments. Are there any best practices you would suggest the committee explore?
Members of the public are encouraged to attend the January 10 meeting. If, however, you cannot make the meeting, you can submit written comments to the panel via email to ethics@talgov.com or mailed to:
City of Tallahassee Ethics Panel
Attn: Treasurer-Clerk / Records
300 S. Adams Street
Tallahassee, FL 32301
Comments will be accepted through January 10 at 4 p.m.
The Ethics Advisory Panel has been meeting since early November. The seven-member group’s mission is to examine the various City policies, procedures and practices relating to ethics, financial disclosures and transparency of the government. The members have heard from the City’s appointed officials, as well as representatives of Integrity Florida and the LeRoy Collins Institute. The group has reviewed existing procedures, disclosure requirements, ethics training courses currently provided and information already available to the public. Receiving public comments will help them tailor input to the needs and interests of the whole community.
For more information, contact the City Treasurer-Clerk’s Office at 891-8130.
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Lizzy Kelley
Dept. of Communications
City of Tallahassee
Office: 850-891-8533
Cell: 850-879-2178
January 3, 2013
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