The Jackson County Legislature passed a countywide code of ethics ordinance during a special meeting Friday.
All county employees, from a secretary to the legislative chairman, will be subject to provisions in the 58-page document.
However, apparently licensed attorneys “acting (in) the course and scope of their duties” are not covered. They are subject to the rules of professional conduct enforced by the Missouri Supreme Court, according to the document. The code will apply to licensed attorneys who are county employees not acting as a lawyer.
This provision was added to the original document first presented to the Legislature last month by County Executive Mike Sanders. In fact, the original document didn’t even include the Legislature, which changed the document to include legislators as well as board and commission members.
Representatives of the Local 42 of the International Association of Fire Fighters, which represents around 65 employees in the county prosecutor’s office, asked for a delay in the Legislature’s decision so they could work out concerns about sections in the code could affect their members.
“We’re glad it passed and support the version passed,” Louie Wright, president of the union, said after the meeting. He would not elaborate on the problems the union had with the original document.
The code would regulate areas that should be governed by collective bargaining agreements between the county and the union, Wright has said at a recent county meeting.
Legislator Bob Spence asked county counselors if there were no conflicts with other areas of the redrafted code.
“We believe this is a comprehensive ethics code that we’ve needed for a long time,” Jackson County Attorney Mark Jones said. “There’s a lot of issues in here that can happen, but I think we’re proceeding the right way.”
Legislator Henry Rizzo said he hopes the county will educate employees about the contents in the code so employees won’t violate the guidelines without knowing.
“I think this an important step for the county,” Sanders said. “This should be a living document. This is a credit to all legislators. You took what I think is a very important step, in that you said to the people of Jackson County you are willing to subject yourself to this code. That you voluntarily held yourself to the standards in this code.”
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The Jackson County Legislature passed a countywide code of ethics ordinance during a special meeting Friday.
All county employees, from a secretary to the legislative chairman, will be subject to provisions in the 58-page document.
However, apparently licensed attorneys “acting (in) the course and scope of their duties” are not covered. They are subject to the rules of professional conduct enforced by the Missouri Supreme Court, according to the document. The code will apply to licensed attorneys who are county employees not acting as a lawyer.
This provision was added to the original document first presented to the Legislature last month by County Executive Mike Sanders. In fact, the original document didn’t even include the Legislature, which changed the document to include legislators as well as board and commission members.
Representatives of the Local 42 of the International Association of Fire Fighters, which represents around 65 employees in the county prosecutor’s office, asked for a delay in the Legislature’s decision so they could work out concerns about sections in the code could affect their members.
“We’re glad it passed and support the version passed,” Louie Wright, president of the union, said after the meeting. He would not elaborate on the problems the union had with the original document.
The code would regulate areas that should be governed by collective bargaining agreements between the county and the union, Wright has said at a recent county meeting.
Legislator Bob Spence asked county counselors if there were no conflicts with other areas of the redrafted code.
“We believe this is a comprehensive ethics code that we’ve needed for a long time,” Jackson County Attorney Mark Jones said. “There’s a lot of issues in here that can happen, but I think we’re proceeding the right way.”
Legislator Henry Rizzo said he hopes the county will educate employees about the contents in the code so employees won’t violate the guidelines without knowing.
“I think this an important step for the county,” Sanders said. “This should be a living document. This is a credit to all legislators. You took what I think is a very important step, in that you said to the people of Jackson County you are willing to subject yourself to this code. That you voluntarily held yourself to the standards in this code.”
