Date: April 8, 2024
To: Members of the Ethics Commission
From: Peter Lauterborn, Manager, Ethics@Work Division
Re: AGENDA ITEM 7 – Information Session on Proposition D Implementation
Summary and Action Requested
This agenda item provides an overview of the steps involved in implementing Proposition D – Changes to Local Ethics Laws (March 2024 election). It includes information on trainings under development, new systems and protocols for disclosures, a new advice portal to assist City officers & employees, and communication plans to inform stakeholders of the availability of these components. No action is required by the Commission, as this item is for informational purposes only.
Background
In 2020, the Ethics Commission identified a review of the City’s conflict-of-interest rules as its top policy priority in response to revelations of corrupt activity by numerous City officials and contractors doing business with the City (as used in this document, the term “City officials” refers to both City officers and employees). Numerous guilty pleas and convictions of high-level officials and contractors have revealed numerous recent instances in which individuals seeking favorable outcomes from City government provided things of value to City officials in an attempt to influence the actions of those officials. Commission staff studied these instances of corruption, as well as related ethics issues facing the City, in multiple policy reports. These were the foundation for what is now Proposition D, which was place on the ballot by the Commission and approved by an overwhelming majority (89%) of voters in the March 2024 election.
Staff has prepared a presentation to walk through the key timing of the components and the steps involved in developing them. It will detail how the Ethics Commission staff plan to operationalize the provisions of Proposition D including trainings for City officers and employees.