The June Board of Director’s Meeting was interesting and engaging. While there were numerous issues on the table, the focus of the meeting was on ethics. In the last general election cycle, Broward County voters decided that they wanted the County Commission to lay down a strict code of ethics for Broward County’s elected officials. In an effort to make this code as effective as possible, the County Commission enlisted the assistance of the Broward League of Cities. The ethics task force, led by Coconut Creek Mayor Lisa Aronson, did a phenomenal job amending the County’s initial proposal. It seems as if the most heated part of the debate stems from the county’s proposed “zero-tolerance” policy towards elected officials accepting food and beverages from vendors that do business with municipalities. Broward League President Debby Eisinger made a valid point to the forum in discussing the possibility of being handed an ethics violation for, as an example, accepting a bottle of water at a local 5K run. To mitigate the harms of this potentially problematic regulation, Mayor Aronson and the committee proposed a $25 food/beverage allowance for elected officials; however, Broward County Commissioner Stacy Ritter exclaimed her view that the average Broward County citizen would be unhappy with any allowance for elected officials, even though she agreed with the change.

It seems as if Broward County citizens are fed up with the actions of a select few Broward County politicians. Understandably, many citizens assume “guilt by association” and conclude that all politicians are corrupt. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The reality is that the vast majority of Broward County’s politicians, including those on the Board of the Broward League of Cities, are working to serve their constituencies to the best of their abilities. While an ethics code is extremely important for elected officials, it is equally important that elected officials are allowed to participate in community functions without the risk of being flagged for ethics violations. Hopefully, the County Commission will accept the League’s revisions to the initial proposal and move forward with an ethics plan that has both the citizens and elected officials best interests at heart. In many cases, as stated by Hallandale Beach Mayor Joy Cooper, municipalities have ethics codes stronger than the county’s proposed code. That point alone proves how the actions of a small group have truly put those doing their job properly at a disadvantage.

By: Chad Klitzman