|
|
|
Independence, MO —
The entire Jackson County Ethics Commission has resigned.
Three members of the commission, including the chairwoman Carol Grimaldi, apparently quit because of conflicts over a new countywide ethics code.
Commission members Robin Ryan, Mike McCormick, Grimaldi, Joanne M. Collins, and Sylvester James Jr. all resigned last month.
James apparently resigned because of reasons other than disagreements over the ethics code. Collins resigned because she was unwilling to remain the sole member of the commission after learning her colleagues had all quit.
Last month, the Jackson County Legislature passed the first-ever county code of ethics.
Currently, there is no one to enforce the code.
A three-member selection committee has begun the process of naming a new commission, said David Warm, chairman of the Mid-America Regional Council. Warm is on the selection committee. The selections must be approved by the Legislature.
The Legislature changed aspects of the code before passing it. One of the changes was that enforcement against elected officials would be handled by the Missouri Ethics Commission, not the county ethics commission.
This rendered the commission useless, according to Grimaldi and other members. The commission has in the past reviewed allegations against elected officials, not staff or volunteers, Grimaldi said.
The other aspect that’s important to note, Grimaldi added, is that the state ethics commission is not responsible for upholding violations of the new code of ethics.
“This stinks in they made it appear like they didn’t exempt themselves (from the code) but they really did,” Grimaldi said. “They have applauded themselves for holding themselves to the same standards as everybody else and in fact they don’t and they haven’t. I’m done.”
Legislator Greg Grounds said for two years the Legislature, led by Executive Mike Sanders who first proposed a code and appointed a task force to create it, has been waiting to get a code passed.
“I’m distressed that people have resigned, but I have to accept this because the choice was that I don’t think it was going to get passed. I wanted to make sure whatever we could get to the floor would be passed.”
Grounds said the county has been under the state ethics commission because the county legislature has funding responsibility over the local ethics commission.
“This is an inherent conflict of interest,” Legislator Dan Tarwater said. “If there’s an ethics violation, the state can investigate. They have no vested interest, and therefore it would be investigated fairly and with no bias.”
The entire Jackson County Ethics Commission has resigned.
Three members of the commission, including the chairwoman Carol Grimaldi, apparently quit because of conflicts over a new countywide ethics code.
Commission members Robin Ryan, Mike McCormick, Grimaldi, Joanne M. Collins, and Sylvester James Jr. all resigned last month.
James apparently resigned because of reasons other than disagreements over the ethics code. Collins resigned because she was unwilling to remain the sole member of the commission after learning her colleagues had all quit.
Last month, the Jackson County Legislature passed the first-ever county code of ethics.
Currently, there is no one to enforce the code.
A three-member selection committee has begun the process of naming a new commission, said David Warm, chairman of the Mid-America Regional Council. Warm is on the selection committee. The selections must be approved by the Legislature.
The Legislature changed aspects of the code before passing it. One of the changes was that enforcement against elected officials would be handled by the Missouri Ethics Commission, not the county ethics commission.
This rendered the commission useless, according to Grimaldi and other members. The commission has in the past reviewed allegations against elected officials, not staff or volunteers, Grimaldi said.
The other aspect that’s important to note, Grimaldi added, is that the state ethics commission is not responsible for upholding violations of the new code of ethics.
“This stinks in they made it appear like they didn’t exempt themselves (from the code) but they really did,” Grimaldi said. “They have applauded themselves for holding themselves to the same standards as everybody else and in fact they don’t and they haven’t. I’m done.”
Legislator Greg Grounds said for two years the Legislature, led by Executive Mike Sanders who first proposed a code and appointed a task force to create it, has been waiting to get a code passed.
“I’m distressed that people have resigned, but I have to accept this because the choice was that I don’t think it was going to get passed. I wanted to make sure whatever we could get to the floor would be passed.”
Grounds said the county has been under the state ethics commission because the county legislature has funding responsibility over the local ethics commission.
“This is an inherent conflict of interest,” Legislator Dan Tarwater said. “If there’s an ethics violation, the state can investigate. They have no vested interest, and therefore it would be investigated fairly and with no bias.”
Tarwater said Grimaldi “seemed to have an ax to grind” with the legislators. “She would always be bringing up... you know, it was a farce.”
Grimaldi said the provision to refer all ethical complaints naming Jackson County elected officials to the state ethics commission is in conflict with county charter, which gives the county ethics commission the power to handle allegations against elected officials.
“For whatever reasons, the voters of Jackson County believed it important that an independent county ethics commission... was in place,” according to a letter Grimaldi sent to Legislator Scott Burnett stating problems the commission had with the code.
No one responded to the letter.
